Quality of life after adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer

Purpose. To evaluate the quality of life of breast cancer patients previous ly treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Method. Registry data were used to recruit a sample of breast cancer patien ts (N = 61; mean age = 51.6 years) with no current evidence of disease who had completed adjuvant chemotherapy between 3 and 36 months earlier (averag e = 15.87 months). In addition, a peer nomination procedure was used to rec ruit an age-matched comparison group of women with no history of cancer (N = 59; mean age = 51.5 years). Both groups were mailed a survey to complete that included the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the Cent er for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). These data were used to test the hypothesis that breast cancer patients previously treated with adjuvant chemotherapy experience impaired quality of life relative to thei r peers and to identify demographic and medical factors associated with ind ividual differences in patient quality of life. Results. Consistent with predictions, the postchemotherapy group scored poo rer than the noncancer comparison group on the CES-D and on six of the eigh t subscales as well as the physical component summary scale of the SF-36 (p < 0.05). With regard to individual differences in patient quality of life, younger age and unmarried status were positively related to poorer mental well-being and greater depressive symptomatology (p < 0.05). Time since can cer diagnosis and chemotherapy completion were also positively related to g reater depressive symptomatology (p < 0.05). In contrast, none of the demog raphic or medical variables assessed were related to physical well-being (p > 0.05). Conclusions. Breast cancer patients appear to experience problems in multip le quality of life domains following the completion of adjuvant chemotherap y treatment. Demographic and medical characteristics explain individual dif ferences in mental but not physical aspects of patient quality of life. The se findings demonstrate the need for interventions to improve the quality o f life in breast cancer patients previously treated with adjuvant chemother apy.