Emotional and functional impact of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on patients with primary breast cancer

The present study investigated the psychosocial sequelae of radiotherapy an ti chemotherapy for primary breast cancer. Negative and positive affect and functional impairment were measured at five intervals between pretreatment and three months after treatment in 78 patients with primary breast cancer who were undergoing radio- or chemotherapy. The radiotherapy patients' neg ative affect was greatest when therapy began and declined during therapy, w hereas chemotherapy patients' negative affect increased during therapy and lasted up to one month therapy ended. The patients' functional, recreationa l, and home management activities were disrupted, predominantly during the first half of the treatment regimen and their sleep and rest behaviors beca me more disrupted as they progressed through the course of treatment. The c hemotherapy patients' social interactions and alertness declined significan tly during therapy. The results suggest that psychoeducational intervention s would be advantageous before radiotherapy begins and at discrete interval s during and after chemotherapy.