Better Clinical Management Improves Quality of Life for Neurofibromatosis Patients

Although neurofibromatosis (NF) is still untreatable by current drug and surgical options, a recent analysis of clinical management and scientific knowledge of the disease found that overall quality of life and survival time can still be improved, thanks to general medical advances. Researchers from the Loyola University Medical Center published a paper in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences proposing ideal guidelines for NF treatment based on quantitative clinical data. Input from multiple specialists is recommended in order to clarify progression of the disease and formulate ideal treatment options without excessive patient impact. “Each NF patient is unique, and there’s no single standard clinical approach that applies to all patients, the guidelines say. Considering the natural history of NF as individualized, distinctive and unpredictable, the main clinical procedure for all NF forms is periodic medical examination throughout life, aiming for the early detection and treatment of possible complications,” explained the co-author of the study. To learn more about this study, click here.