Factors relevant to prevalence of moderate to severe menopausal symptoms of women with breast cancer

Abstract

Objective To investigate the prevalence of moderate to severe menopausal symptoms among the women with breast cancer and analyze relative factors. Methods A self-designed questionnaire and Menopausal Rating Scale were used to collect information of the women with breast cancer who were receiving chemotherapy or follow-up. Results The incidence of moderate to severe menopausal symptoms was 62.0% (124/200) among the 200 breast cancer women investigated. Logistic regression revealed that women with financial difficulties, chemotherapy related menopause and bachelor's degree were more inclined to suffer from moderate to severe menopausal symptoms (OR=3.818, 3.570, 3.213, P < 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of moderate to severe menopausal symptoms was high among the women with breast cancer under treatment. Nurses should pay close attention to women with financial difficulties, chemotherapy related menopause and bachelor's degree. Timely risk assessment and intervention are needed to control and reduce the influence of menopausal symptoms. Key words: Breast neoplasm; Menopausal symptoms; Factor analysis, statistical