Functional Capacity Predictors in Breast Cancer Women: a Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: Functional capacity (FC) declining has been poorly evaluated and characterized in women with breast cancer (BC). It is expected that FC declining may have an impact on survival, and also compromise quality of life and independence. This study aimed to evaluate the FC of women with BC and identify predictors of obtained results. Methods: A cross-sectional study including women with BC consecutively referred for a physical medicine and rehabilitation consult between October and December 2019. Glittre-ADL Test (TGlittre), maximal respiratory pressure tests [maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP)] and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale were used in order to assess FC, respiratory muscle strength and fatigue, respectively. Age, professional status, smoking habits, comorbidities, body mass index, duration and status of disease, previous and ongoing treatments were also registered. Results: A total of 42 women with non-metastatic BC were enrolled with a disease duration of 11.50 months (71), mostly in stage II (53.60%) and under hormone therapy (38.10%). TGlittre performance time was 3.13 minutes (8.72). TGlittre performance time correlated with MIP (r = -0.373; p <0.01) and MEP (r = -0.414; p = 0.007) values and age (r = 0.711; p < 0.010). Patients with CV and endocrine comorbidities had higher TGlittre time values (p <0.01 and p = 0.019, respectively). Age was the only statistically significant predictor (p=0.041) of TGlittre variation.Conclusions: Women with BC presented decreased FC with mean values ​​of TGlittre duration higher than those described in the literature in healthy subjects.