Association of Nutritional Status with Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Nutritional status and dietary intake play a significant role in the prognosis of breast cancer and may modifythe progression of disease. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of nutritional status on thequality of life of Iranian breast cancer survivors. Cross-sectional data were collected for 100 Iranian breastcancer survivors, aged 32 to 61 years, attending the oncology outpatient clinic at Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran.Nutritional status of subjects was assessed by anthropometric measurements, Patient-Generated SubjectiveGlobal Assessment (PG-SGA) and three non-consecutive 24-hour diet recalls. The European Organization ofResearch and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life form (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used to assess quality of life.Ninety-four percent of the survivors were well-nourished, 6% were moderately malnourished or suspected ofbeing malnourished while none were severely malnourished. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 86%.Overall, participants had an inadequate intake of vitamin D, E, iron and magnesium according to dietaryreference intake (DRI) recommendations. Survivors with better nutritional status had better functioning scalesand experienced fewer clinical symptoms. It appears important to provide educational and nutritional screeningprograms to improve cancer survivor quality of life.