Assessment of age-related influences on the quality of life of breast cancer patients before and after surgical treatment

Abstract

Background / Aim. Breast cancer comprises about 25% of all female cancers, and its incidence is increasing. New diagnostic procedures and therapeutic modalities have increased treatment success rates as well as patient survival. The goal of contemporary treatment is not only patient survival, but also a better quality of life (QoL). The objective of this study was to assess the effect of age at diagnosis on the QoL of a patient with breast cancer before and after surgery. Methods. We analyzed QoL in 170 female patients (43 patients <50 and 127 patients ≥50 years) diagnosed with breast cancer (I and II stage) a month before and after surgical treatment, using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire and specific version for breast cancer patients (EORTC QLQ-BR23). Results. The QLQ-C30 questionnaire showed that surgical treatment significantly decreased all domains of the patients' QoL in both age groups. Age-related differences were present in sexual functioning and pleasure independently of surgical treatment, with higher scores in the group of younger women. The analysis of data obtained using the QLQ-BR23 questionnaire revealed a lower QoL after surgical treatment in almost all dimensions regardless of patient age. Conclusion. The results of our study pointed out statistically significant differences in the QoL domains of sexual functioning, and sexual enjoyment between women in both age groups independent of surgical treatment. The QoL was better in the younger age group. Surgical breast cancer treatment negatively affected patients QoL independently of age.

Quality of Life and Sexual Functioning of Women after Breast Cancer Surgery

“…In this study, the results showed that hair loss decreased during follow-up 1 year after the end of chemotherapy. In our research, most women were treated with chemotherapy (63.7%) which led to a higher rate of psychosexual disorders due on the scales of self-image, sexual functioning, sexual pleasure, side effects of systemic therapy, and anxiety due to hair loss, which is consistent with the results of other studies [21], [22], [23], [24]. The results of a study conducted by Murgic et al in Croatia showed that the self-image scale was the most affected, while sexual functioning was minimally affected, which is contrary to our research [25].…”

The impact of age on physical functioning after treatment for breast cancer, as measured by patient-reported outcome measures: A systematic review

“…The p-value between the two types of chemotherapy at the end of treatment at p = 000.027 - this is the only time point that is significant. Kostic et al (2020) [ 76 ] Serbia 170 n = 43 < 50, n = 127 ≥ 50 EORTC QLQ-C30 a Mean (SD a ): physical functioning pre-surgery <50 years 90.3 (11.4), ≥50 years 83.7 (18.8) (p = 0.103) (not significant). Post-surgery age differences also not significant, <50 years 81.2 (16.7), ≥50 years 76.5 (18.7) (p = 0.134).…”

“…The range of scores was 17–24, with a mean of 20.3 ( Appendix B ). Six studies (13.6 %) had scores at the optimum end of the scale, with scores of 23–24 [ 56 , 58 , [71] , [73] , [74] , 84 ], and ten (22.7 %) were amongst the lower end of the range, with scores of 17–18 [ 53 , 72 , 59 , 60 , 67 , 76 , 77 , 79 , 91 , 93 ]. Studies scored poorly on aspects about confounding variables, the generalisability to the local population and follow-up period [ 51 ].…”

“…Twenty-nine (29 of 44, 65.9 %) of the studies that met the inclusion criteria and had age sub-groups had findings on the association between age and physical functioning. Nineteen of these studies (65.5 %) found that with older age, physical functioning declined post-breast cancer treatment [ 12 , 58 , 64 , 65 , 67 , 69 , [71] , [73] , [74] , 76 , 78 , [81] , [82] , [84] , [85] , 90 , 94 , 83 , 88 ]. These studies generally scored well on the risk of bias (quality) assessment, with a mean score of 21.…”

Quality of Life of Bulgarian Breast Cancer Female Patients

“…In 170 female breast cancer patients 1 month before and after surgical treatment, there are statistically significant differences in the QoL domains of sexual functioning and sexual enjoyment between younger and older women independently of surgery [19], [20]. The surgical treatment negatively affects the QoL independently of age.…”