[Influence of clinical and biographical factors on the quality of life of women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy]

Abstract

Objective: Adjuvant chemotherapy affects the life of women with breast cancer in different ways. The aim of this work is to study the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the quality of their lives and the impact of their clinical and biographical characteristics.

Patients and method: Women with breast cancer, candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy, participating in a randomised trial with non-pharmacological intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00964522), completed the EORTC QOL-C30 and QOL-BR23 quality of life questionnaires before, in the middle, and at the end of the treatment.

Results: Fifty women completed the questionnaires. Overall health got worse over time (p=0.01). Physical functioning (p=0.0001) and body image (p=0.002) were the scales that deteriorated most, and asthenia (p=0.004), nausea/vomiting (p=0.05), and anorexia (p=0.025), were the symptoms with the largest temporary impact of the chemotherapy. Unemployed women had worse physical functioning (p=0.046) and role functioning (p=0.005). Older women had more diarrhoea (p=0.013). The most qualified women had a worse score in financial difficulties scale (p=0.034). Women with advanced stage (III) underwent more deterioration in the body image (p=0.001) and were more concerned about the future (p=0.006). Women treated with anthracycline and taxane also had a worse perspective of the future (p=0.02).

Conclusions: Adjuvant chemotherapy deteriorates the quality of life of patients with breast cancer, basically in physical functioning and body image areas. Asthenia and gastrointestinal toxicity are the side effects that affect patients most. Women need support if they are older, unemployed, more educated, and have stage III breast cancer treated with anthracycline and taxane based chemotherapy.