Factors Predictive of Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Due to progress in medical care, the number of survivors from cancer has increased significantly<br />during recent years and this raises the question of the quality of life (QoL), especially of the many women treated<br />for a breast cancer. This paper focuses on correlations of QoL with anxiety and depression on the one hand and with<br />socio demographic, anatomo-clinical and therapeutic parameters on the other. Methods: In this cross-sectional study,<br />seventy patients were enrolled and filled in two auto-questionnaires, both in validated Arabic versions: The SF-36 for<br />assessment of QoL and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD-S) for evaluation of anxiety and depression.<br />The statistical approaches used to determine predictive factors were bivariate correlations to determine relationships<br />between quantitative variables, and T-tests and one-way Anova to analyze links between qualitative and quantitative<br />variables. Results: The QoL of patients was altered with an SF-36 mean total score of 54.0 ± 22.7, and the alteration<br />affects the different aspects. The mean scores for anxiety and depression in patients were 6.91 ± 4.72 and 6.24 ± 3.88,<br />respectively. The results of this study suggested an association between the QoL and chemotherapy (p= 0.014) and its<br />adverse effects (p=0.01), as well as anxiety (p= 0.0001) and depressive symptoms (p= 0.0001). Socio-demographic<br />factors, the stage of the cancer, and surgery, radiotherapy or hormone therapy did not appear to have significant<br />effects. Conclusion: The management of breast cancer patients needs a collaborative approach between oncologists,<br />gynecologists, psychologist and psychiatrists.