Effects of pessimism, depression, fatigue, and pain on functional health-related quality of life in patients with resected non-advanced breast cancer

Abstract

IntroductionThe aim was to analyze the effects of pessimism, depression, fatigue, and pain on functional health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with resected, non-advanced breast cancer. MethodsA prospective, multicenter study was conducted in 440 breast cancer patients. They completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL-Questionnaire-Core-30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30), and the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). ResultsPrevalence rates of pessimism and depression were 23.3% and 40.0%, respectively. Fatigue and pain were the most common symptoms, 8.8% and 4.2%, respectively. Patients without a partner were more pessimistic that partnered ones; those with a lower level of education and subjects without a partner exhibited more depression. Depression was a major factor that proved to have the greatest explanatory power for HRQoL (physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning) and global health status (R2 range: 0.13 to 0.39). Of the five domains, fatigue had a significant effect on four and pain, on two. ConclusionThis study reveals the impact of depression and pessimism on physical, psychological, social, and quality-of-life aspects and the importance of evaluating them in patients who are going to initiate adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.