Symptoms 2 weeks, 3 months and 12 months after treatment of early breast cancer: the patients' perspectives

The physical symptoms and side-effects reported by patients treated for ear ly breast cancer with surgery (S), (breast conservation or mastectomy), rad iotherapy (R) and chemotherapy (C) are reported. As part of a large quality -of-life study, eligible patients were invited to complete a questionnaire at three and 12 months after treatment for early breast cancer. Symptoms 2 weeks after surgery were retrospectively collected at the 3-month questionn aire. Comparing the commonly used different therapy combinations (S, S-I-R, S+C and S+R+C) we found the only loco-regional symptom to show a significa nt difference between these groups was chest tightness (P<0.001). Both anxi ety about attending for and discomfort during C were significantly higher t han during R (P<0.00005 and 0.00001 respectively). We found that the additi on of R and, or, C to S resulted in surprisingly little variation in physic al side-effects. (C) 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.