A qualitative study among breast cancer patients on chemotherapy: experiences and side-effects

Nies, Yong Hui; Ali, Adliah Mhd; Abdullah, Noor Rain; Islahudin, Farida; Shah, Noraida Mohamed

doi:10.2147/ppa.s168638

Cited by 38 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(37 reference statements)

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“…In addition, approximately one-third of participants felt that CIM adversely impacted relationships with their partner, children, and wider family. These real-world patient perspectives mirror the findings of smaller studies 23 , 24 , 27 and were supported by some of the qualitative comments provided in this study. Several participants verbalized issues with completing daily tasks, work, and maintaining relationships, as well as an overall feeling of anxiety and isolation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…In addition to the physical, emotional, and economic burden of CIM and its side effects, studies have suggested that symptoms of fatigue, infections, and bleeding may also impact patients’ quality of life (QoL), social relationships, and ability to perform daily tasks. 23–28 For example, when 100 patients were asked to rank the physical and non-physical side effects of chemotherapy, “affects my family or partner” was rated as the most severe side effect. Alopecia and fatigue were ranked second and third, respectively, and effects on work or home responsibilities, social activities, and loss of interest in sex were ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cancer Patients’ Perspectives and Experiences of Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression and Its Impact on Daily Life

Epstein¹,

Roy²,

Aapro³

et al. 2021

PPA

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Purpose To evaluate which side effects of chemotherapy are considered most burdensome by patients with cancer, identify which health care professionals pay most attention to symptoms associated with chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression (CIM) from the patient perspective, and capture the “patient voice” describing how CIM impacts their daily lives. Participants and Methods Online survey of participants with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who had received chemotherapy within the past 12 months and experienced ≥1 episode of CIM in the past year. Participants were asked to answer close-ended questions and provide qualitative responses to: “In your own words, please describe how side effects from myelosuppression have impacted your life.” Results Among 301 survey participants, fatigue was the most frequently reported side effect of chemotherapy; 55% of participants rated fatigue as highly bothersome (9 or 10 on a 1–10 scale of “bothersomeness”). Participants rated symptoms associated with CIM, including fatigue, weakened immune system (infections), bleeding and/or bruising, and shortness of breath, as being as bothersome as other side effects of chemotherapy, including alopecia, neuropathy, and nausea/vomiting. Overall, 24–43% of participants thought that CIM and its symptoms had a negative impact on their daily lives, including their ability to complete tasks at home and work, and to socialize. Qualitative responses supported these findings; participants highlighted that CIM-related symptoms, particularly fatigue and fear of infections, affected their ability to be physically active, complete work, or continue meaningful relationships with friends and family. Conclusion Participants described a real-world impact of CIM that often isolates them from family and friends, and means that they are unable to work or perform tasks of daily living. Using measures that help patients to recognize and communicate the signs and symptoms of CIM might increase the likelihood of maintaining daily lives as close to normal as possible, during and after chemotherapy treatment.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer Patients’ Perspectives and Experiences of Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression and Its Impact on Daily Life

Epstein¹,

Roy²,

Aapro³

et al. 2021

PPA

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show abstract

“…FOR has been defined as the worry or fear that the cancer will return, progress, or spread. [ 19 ] The FOR is consistent with literature[ 8 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 ] and may have important implications for survivors' psychological adjustment. Anxiety about recurrence was a common theme expressed by survivors regardless of the type of cancer they had or how many years they had survived cancer.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Determining the Concerns of Breast Cancer Survivors to Inform Practice

Chua

Tan

et al. 2020

Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing

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Objective: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women across all ethnicities, accounting for almost one in three incident cancers in female, and the leading cause of mortality in Singapore. Literature reveals that survivors of breast cancer have many concerns, and these concerns can linger on for decades. The primary aim of this secondary analysis was to establish the concerns of breast cancer survivors and use the data to inform practice. Methods: The present report was part of a bigger data designed to evaluate the concerns of cancer survivors (top six cancers) across the survivorship trajectory. Data of 438 breast cancer survivors were derived from a cross-sectional survey of the self-reported concerns of 1107 cancer survivors, using the questionnaire adopted from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Centre's Cancer Survivors Survey of Needs. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the odds ratios to assess the association of various variables with the presence of ≥1 concerned or very concerned issue among patients. Linear regression models were fitted to identify the variables associated with quality of life (QOL). Results: A total of 438 breast cancer survivors responded to this survey. The top five concerns were cancer treatment and recurrence risk (55.5%), followed by fear of recurrence (FOR) (54.6%), long-term effects of treatment (53.4%), osteoporosis/bone health (39.0%), and keeping primary care physicians informed (37.4%). Cancer treatment and recurrence risk, FOR, and long-term treatment effects were among the top concerns across the survivorship trajectory. The mean QOL was 7.5 on a scale of 0–10. Conclusions: Irrespective of the cancer trajectory, survivors of breast cancer have serious concerns that warrant attention. Designing patient care delivery that addresses these concerns identified is critical in assisting them in their coping process and enhancing their QOL.

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“…Chemotherapy is the most frequently used treatment for breast cancer patients, contributing to the reduction in cause-specific mortality by lowering the risk of recurrence and metastasis ( 66 ). Responses to chemotherapy vary greatly amongst individuals, making it difficult to accurately predict the outcomes of the treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between clinicopathological features of breast cancer with adipocytokine levels and oxidative stress markers before and after chemotherapy

et al. 2021

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Adipocytokines and markers of oxidative stress have been shown to exhibit potential for detection of advanced stage, HER2/neu status and lymph node metastases in patients with breast cancer, as well as in determining the efficiency of anti-cancer treatments. In the present study, blood concentrations of apelin (APLN), retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in women with breast cancer with different clinicopathological features were measured prior to and following adjuvant chemotherapy. The study included 60 women with breast cancer stratified according to tumor grade and size, HER-2/neu expression, and lymph node and hormone receptor status. Blood samples were taken before and after two cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. None of the clinicopathological features were associated with the baseline concentrations of RBP4, 8-oxo-dG or TAC. An increased baseline concentration of APLN was observed in HER-2/neu positive patients. Moreover, through multivariate logistical regression analysis, APLN was shown to be independently associated with a positive HER/neu status. Chemotherapy treatment did not affect the levels of RBP4 or APLN, or TAC values when assessing all the patients, and when assessing the stratified groups of patients. Only 8-oxo-dG was found to be significantly decreased following drug administration (P=0.0009). This preliminary study demonstrated that APLN is a significant and independent predictor of HER-2/neu positive breast cancer. A significant reduction in 8-oxo-dG levels following chemotherapy may indicate its potential clinical utility in monitoring the effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

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A qualitative study among breast cancer patients on chemotherapy: experiences and side-effects

Cited by 38 publications

References 34 publications

Cancer Patients’ Perspectives and Experiences of Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression and Its Impact on Daily Life

Cancer Patients’ Perspectives and Experiences of Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression and Its Impact on Daily Life

Determining the Concerns of Breast Cancer Survivors to Inform Practice

Association between clinicopathological features of breast cancer with adipocytokine levels and oxidative stress markers before and after chemotherapy

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