Relationship between sleep disturbance, symptoms, and alcohol use in breast cancer survivors attending Sydney Cancer Survivorship Clinic.

Abstract

We sought to determine the association between 'trouble sleeping', alcohol intake, hot flashes, and quality of life (QOL) in early-stage breast cancer survivors attending the Sydney Cancer Survivorship Clinic (SCSC). Survivors who had completed primary adjuvant treatment completed questionnaires assessing the following: symptoms, QOL (mean global score on FACT-G), and alcohol intake (drinks per day for past week), on the first visit to SCSC. Trouble sleeping and hot flashes were scored from 0 (no trouble at all) to 10 (worst I can imagine), with scores ≥ 4 classified as at least moderate and ≥ 7 severe. 238 breast cancer survivors attended SCSC from September 2013 to May 2019, with data available for 227 (median age 53 years; 70% on endocrine therapy). Trouble sleeping was at least moderate in 54% and severe in 19%. 47% reported consuming alcohol (mean 4.9 drinks/week). Scores for trouble sleeping were no different between survivors reporting alcohol consumption and not (mean 4.13 vs. 3.6; p = 0.17). Survivors reporting at least moderate trouble sleeping (vs. less than moderate) were no more likely to drink alcohol (OR 1.74, 95% CI 0.96-3.14, p = 0.067) but had poorer mean QOL scores (69.1 vs. 78.3; p = 0.0006). Survivors reporting at least moderate hot flashes (vs. less than moderate) were more likely to report at least moderate trouble sleeping (OR 3.78, 95% CI 2.02-6.71, p < 0.0001) and had worse mean QOL scores (68 vs. 78; p = 0.001). Trouble sleeping is common amongst breast cancer survivors and associated with hot flashes and poorer QOL, but not with self-reported alcohol consumption.