Quality of life in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer: evolution during follow-up and vulnerability factors

Abstract

Objective In women with breast cancer, many disease-related psychosocial factors directly affect quality of life (QoL) during and after treatment. The aims of this prospective study were to evaluate the psychosocial factors affecting QoL and its dimensions, to study their evolution over time, and to determine the factors associated with this evolution. Methods Thirty women with non-metastatic breast cancer were asked to complete a number of questionnaires evaluating QoL and its dimensions, symptoms of anxiety and depression, body image, social support, and coping strategies immediately after their diagnosis of breast cancer (T1), at the end of treatment (T2), and 6 months after the end of treatment (T3). Results Level of education, mastectomy, and hormonotherapy all had an impact on QoL. QoL and its dimensions changed over time. Coping strategies, social support, body image, and symptoms of anxiety and depression were predictive factors for QoL. Conclusion The identification of these predictive factors should help medical teams to identify the patients who are most vulnerable and susceptible to poor QoL. In women with breast cancer, it is essential to identify and treat any changes in patients' need for support in an appropriate manner, both during the course of therapy and particularly during remission.

Self‐referential processes and resting‐state connectivity in breast cancer patients before and 1 year after chemotherapy

“…Hence, functional connectivity results at T1 and across T1 and T2 suggest that, before chemotherapy but also more pervasively across the cancer trajectory, BC patients might be less sensitive than HC to somatosensory information. This hypothesis fits with previous reports showing changes in the relationship BC patients have with their body (Helms et al, 2008;Lantheaume et al, 2021;Sebri et al, 2021).…”

“…Several studies have shown that higher self‐esteem is an important indicator for better quality of life. In some patients, cancer and its treatments can lead to lower self‐esteem and disturb patients' relationship with their body and with others, which in turn can negatively impact quality of life (Helms et al, 2008; Lantheaume et al, 2021; Sebri et al, 2021). As a life‐threatening illness, cancer is related to many stressful events that may lead to psychosocial changes such as those involving self‐representations.…”

Health-related Quality of Life in Hormone Receptor-Positive Early Breast Cancer: Analyses From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare Health Outcomes Survey

“…Furthermore, this linked data source captures both HRQoL data and tumor information. Additionally, this study is among the first to examine HRQoL over a 2-year period following HR+ eBC diagnosis, which is important since HRQoL can change over time ( 30 ).…”

Trajectories of quality of life in breast cancer survivors during the first year after treatment: a longitudinal study

“…To identify the duration and components of an intervention program that supports the transition from cancer patients to survivors, empirical evidence needs to be accumulated through an integrated investigation of changes in the QOL of breast cancer patients and the factors affecting these changes [ 6 , 7 ]. In previous studies, factors affecting the QOL of breast cancer survivors included physical and psychological symptoms, self-efficacy [ 7 – 9 ], and social support [ 10 – 12 ]. The greater the symptoms experienced by breast cancer patients, the higher the psychological distress level, the lower their physical and social functioning, and the worse the overall QOL [ 13 ].…”

“…Self-efficacy positively affects the QOL of breast cancer survivors by helping them actively cope with cancer-related health problems [ 9 ] and maintaining self-management and health behavior for various symptoms [ 14 ]. Social support is also a representative environmental factor affecting the QOL of breast cancer patients; the provision of sufficient social support, such as feeling protected or receiving help from others [ 15 , 16 ], assists survivors in actively coping with health problems [ 17 ] and finding positive meaning in life [ 18 ], which ultimately improves their QOL [ 10 , 12 , 16 ].…”