Abstract
Objective:This study aimed to investigate how nutrition indicators and physical function may influence Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of breast cancer patients undergoing treatment. Methods:This was a cross sectional study among a total of 163 breast cancer patients. Series of measurements including anthropometry, biochemical, and dietary were employed to assess patients’ nutritional status while physical function was assessed by handgrip strength. HRQoL of patients was determined using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30) version 3.0. Multiple linear regression was used to identify factors associated with HRQoL. Results:Breast cancer patients perceived moderately their overall quality of life (QoL), with the mean global health status (GHS) score of 69.12. Emotional functioning was the poorest functional scale while fatigue was the most distressing symptom presented by the patients. Approximately 20% of patients had low corrected arm muscle area while more than half had low hemoglobin level. More than 90% of patients did not meet the overall dietary recommendation and had poor handgrip strength. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) was associated with GHS (β: 0.906; 95% CI: 0.22, 1.56) and cognitive functioning (β: -1.543; 95% CI: -3.07, -0.01). Handgrip strength was positively associated with most of HRQoL outcomes. Conclusions:Breast cancer patients reported overall good nutritional status and moderate QoL during treatment. Being well-nourished improved HRQoL and handgrip strength could be a potential proxy for functional outcomes as well as overall QoL.
Highlights
A new paradigm for cancer care has been intensively deliberated, evolving from an aggressive cancer cure treatment to a life-prolonging treatment with the main consideration of Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (Kelley and Meier, 2010; Patel et al, 2014)
This study aimed to investigate how nutrition indicators and physical function may influence Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of breast cancer patients undergoing treatment
While mounting evidence shows malnutrition is associated with decreasing HRQoL in cancer patients (Lis et al, 2012; Yu et al, 2013), the relationship between nutritional status and HRQoL is under-studied for breast cancer patients, who are at lower risk of under-nutrition as compared to other cancers (Lis et al, 2012)
Summary
A new paradigm for cancer care has been intensively deliberated, evolving from an aggressive cancer cure treatment to a life-prolonging treatment with the main consideration of Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (Kelley and Meier, 2010; Patel et al, 2014). It is essential for healthcare professionals to understand one’s perception of health or life status throughout cancer treatment as this could imply an effective clinical decision making, pertaining to better treatment adherence (Kane et al, 2014; Kelley and Meier, 2010). In spite of the negative impact of altered taste perception on calorie intake (Boltong et al, 2014; de Vries et al, 2017), weight gain was increasingly reported for breast cancer patients even during treatment (van den Berg et al, 2017), which may decrease their physical function and overall quality of life (QoL) (Fang et al, 2013), suggesting healthy eating habit for general
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