Objectives: To assess the relationship between (a) chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments and (b) depressive symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with breast cancer.
Sample & setting: 182 women with breast cancer in Spain who were undergoing chemotherapy with or without mAbs.
Methods & variables: An observational, cross-sectional study was carried out. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL Questionnaire-Core 30 and the EORTC QOL Questionnaire-Breast Cancer were used to assess QOL. Patients were screened for depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory-II.
Results: No relationship was found between the use of mAbs with chemotherapy and QOL, except for incidence of diarrhea. However, depressive symptoms had a negative and highly significant influence on the majority of the QOL parameters.
Implications for nursing: The presence of depressive symptoms negatively affects QOL. Used concurrently, mAbs and chemotherapy do not negatively influence QOL, but some adverse effects, such as diarrhea, are common.
Keywords: breast cancer; chemotherapy; depression; monoclonal antibodies; quality of life.