Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is the leading pathology in the mortality structure of the female population in the world, reduces the quality of life (QOL), affecting all aspects of life. Objective: To study the features of the QOL associated with health, the level of reflexivity and existence women with BC. Materials and Methods: On the basis of TSMU a study of patients with BC who are being treated in the Tver Regional Clinical Oncology Center. The sample included 138 patients aged 30 to 80 years old with a confirmed diagnosis of BC of stages IA – IIIC, who underwent complex treatment. The volume of surgical treatment was not considered. We used the methods of SF-36, existential scaling A. Lange and K. Orgler, reflexivity questionnaires A. Karpov. The reliability of the results is provided by SPSS Statistics 22. Results and Discussion: The QOL associated with health patients with BC is formed by indicators of physical functioning (63.3 ± 23.0), role functioning (26.9 ± 36.9) and pain intensity (20, 4 ± 22.2), general health (60.9 ± 14.0), vitality (60 ± 13.1), social functioning (50.5 ± 26.5), emotional functioning (43.4 ± 39, 9) and self-esteem of mental health (56.5 ± 14.4). A study of the level of reflexivity showed that 25% have low rates and average - 75%. Patients with a high level were not identified. The study of existence showed that self-distance (33.5 ± 7.9) has a high degree of severity in 38%, low - in 17%. Self-transcendence (65.1 ± 13.1) in a high degree of severity in 53%, low - in 6%. Freedom (39.1 ± 6.9) has a high level in 8%, low - in 15%. Responsibility (53.6 ± 14.7) in a high level was recorded in 26%, low - in 7%. Conclusions: Patients with BC rate their own overall health, vitality, social functioning, and psychological health quite low. Such QOL indicators as physical, role and emotional functioning have an average level of ratings. Respondents highly rate their own experience of pain. Patients suffer physical and mental health components, which significantly increases the risk of complications in the postoperative period.