Life In Breast Cancer Patients Research Articles

The Efficacy of Psychoeducational Support Group for Saudi Breast Cancer Survivors.

The adverse effects of psychological distress and quality of life are common outcomes in breast cancer survivors. Psychoeducational interventions have been widely used to reduce these adverse outcomes among those patients. This study aims to assess the impact of the Blossom support group on psychological distress and quality of life in breast cancer patients in Saudi Arabia. This study is a retrospective cohort study for the Blossom program, which was held yearly for eight weeks from 2014 until 2018. Data was collected from the survivors' records at the Zahra Breast Cancer Association in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. include the quality of life scale (SF-36) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) with both were available in the Arabic translated version. Both tools were used as the screening measurement for the assessment of the quality of life, depression, and anxiety before and after the program. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Analytical Software (SAS), version 9.4. Statistical differences in median scores of SF-36 and HADS before and after the program was tested using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A total of 54 breast cancer survivors were enrolled in the Blossom support program over the period 2014 to 2018. Of these participants, only 25 participants completed the full eight weeks program. There were statistically significant differences in the overall quality of life (SF-36) before and after the 8 weeks from baseline of the experiment (W = 60, P-value =0.0125). Moreover, the overall anxiety and depression scores were tested separately and the results reveal statistically significant differences in both dimensions before and after the program (Anxiety: W=132, P-value = 0.0059; depression: W=157, P-value = 0.0002). The Blossom support program showed a positive impact on the quality of life and the psychological well-being of breast cancer survivors. It is recommended to utilize this support program across a wide range of health organizations with breast cancer survivors as a baseline of psychological care to improve the quality of life.

Relationship between family support and quality of life of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at Santa Elisabeth Hospital, Medan 2022

Introduction: The world today is not only facing the problem of communicable diseases but also non-communicable diseases whose cases are increasing and causing major deaths worldwide. One of them is cancer. Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, invade and move between cells and tissues. Objectives: To determine the relationship between family support and quality of life of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at Santa Elisabeth Hospital, Medan 2022. Methods: This type of research is non-experimental using a correlational research design with a Cross-Sectional approach. Results: The results of the study conducted by the researcher showed that the presence of family support can improve the patient's quality of life. Conclusions: the quality of life of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is getting more optimal. Researchers hope to improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy by providing positive support such as sincere care and affection, the motivation that builds the patient's spirit.

Latissimus dorsi flap after mastectomy surgery: case series

Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Breast cancer can be treated with mastectomy surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal, radiation, and biological agent therapy. Surgery is the primary therapy for breast cancer. The most common surgical procedure is a mastectomy which can be continued with breast reconstruction after mastectomy surgery to improve the shape and close the breast defects. Breast reconstructions can be performed with breast implant surgery and autologous or “flap” reconstruction. Latissimus Dorsi (LD) flap is a pedicled flap often used for breast reconstruction. Mastectomy surgery and breast reconstruction complications are seromas, late hypertrophic scars, hematomas, pain, muscle weakness, and infections. This study aimed to describe the case series of latissimus dorsi flaps in breast cancer patients after mastectomy surgery. Case presentation: The author presents 6 cases of breast cancer patients after mastectomy surgery performed breast reconstruction using an LD flap. Five patients had a history of surgery on the abdomen, and one did not have a history of abdominal surgery but had planned pregnancy in the future. There were no complications after LD flap reconstruction surgery. LD flap surgery may be accompanied by implants so that the shape and size can be close to another breast, but related to the cost, and the patients refuse to use a breast implant. All patients were given chemotherapy before surgery. Conclusion: Breast reconstructive surgery is used to close defects after mastectomy surgery and can improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients. Pedicled LD flaps are one of the techniques often used for breast reconstruction cases because of rare complications of necrosis in the donor area or flaps.

Influence of body image on quality of life in breast cancer patients undergoing breast reconstruction: Mediating of self-esteem.

Breast cancer is considered as a major health problem for women, and the prevalence is increasing over the world. Research to improve their quality of life is necessary. This study was to examine the body image and self-esteem of breast cancer patients who underwent breast reconstruction in order to determine whether these affect their quality of life. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed. This study was conducted on 140 patients who underwent breast reconstruction following breast cancer surgery at S University Hospital in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Measures were the general characteristics list, body image scale, self-esteem scale, and the Korean version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer Version 4 for quality of life. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression, and process macro bootstrapping for mediation effect. Data were collected from October 2020 to March 2021. The path regression coefficient was 1.59 (p < .001), and the direct effect of body image on the quality of life was 1.34 (p < .001) considering the effect of self-esteem, which is a parameter. This confirmed that self-esteem mediates body image and quality of life. The explanatory power of self-esteem for quality of life was 54%. This study suggests that body image and self-esteem are important factors in the quality of life of breast cancer patients who underwent breast reconstruction. Also, the self-esteem has a mediating effect in the relationship between body image and quality of life. In clinical practice, nurses should focus on the body image and self-esteem of breast cancer patients who have undergone breast reconstruction in order to improve their quality of life. This cross-sectional descriptive design study was conducted on patients who underwent breast reconstruction following breast cancer surgery at hospital in South Korea.

Family support on motivation of compliance and chemotherapy protocol among patients with breast cancer

Chemotherapy is a therapy using drugs to kill cancer cells that have spread beyond the breast and axillary areas that cannot be seen or found. This study aimed to determine the relationship between family support and motivation to comply with chemotherapy protocols in breast cancer patients in Tarakan Hospital Jakarta. This type of research is descriptive and correlative with a cross-sectional approach with the simple random sampling technique of 73 respondents—the results of the research data analysis using the Chi-Square test. From the study's results, it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between family support and motivation to comply with chemotherapy protocols in breast cancer patients. Therefore, family support is needed to improve the quality of life in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.&#x0D; Keywords: Chemotherapy; breast cancer; nursing care; nursing collaboration; family support

360 Health Analysis (H360) – Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients: an Integrated Vision

Background: This study is part of the H360 Health Analysis (H360) and aimed to investigate the Quality of Life (QoL) of Breast Cancer (BC) patients in the real world.

Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Mistletoe Extracts: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women and quality of life an essential part of patients' well-being. Although the treatment with mistletoe extracts is covered by multiple cancer guidelines and reviews, it is uncertain whether mistletoe extracts can improve the quality of life in breast cancer patients. We therefore performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on this topic. This systematic review included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies of intervention (NRSIs) comparing the quality of life in breast cancer patients treated with mistletoe extracts as add-on therapy to control groups treated conventionally. We searched previous systematic reviews and multiple databases until January 2023. We conducted a meta-analysis and assessed the risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook via RoB 2 and ROBINS-I and the certainty of evidence via GRADE, respectively. Nine RCTs and 7 NRSIs with 833 and 2831 participants, respectively, were included. The pre-post changes for the quality of life resulted in a pooled standardized mean difference for RCTs of SMD = 0.61 (95% CI 0.47-0.75; P < .0001) and for retrospective NRSIs of SMD = 0.46 (95% CI 0.10-0.82; P = .01). The risk of bias was low to high for the RCTs and serious for all NRSIs. The certainty of evidence was moderate for RCTs and very low for NRSIs. Our results indicate a clinically relevant, medium-sized effect of mistletoe extracts on the quality of life in breast cancer patients which may be based on the immunomodulating effects of mistletoe extracts during chemotherapy. The limitations of evidence include the risk of bias which is mainly caused by the difficulty of blinding. Further RCTs and real-world evidence need to confirm this result, especially in the setting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and in breast cancer survivors.

Does Digital Rubbing Massage-Pain Relief (DRM Pain Relief) Affect Breast Cancer Patients' Pain, Comfort, and Quality of Life?

The incidence of breast cancer in Indonesia is the highest among types of cancer in women, with an estimated pain prevalence of 40%-89%. More than 50% of cancer patients suffer from pain that has not been resolved. Cancer pain's impact will affect the comfort level and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of DRM Pain Relief on the degree of pain, comfort, and quality of life among breast cancer patients. The research was a true experimental study with pre-test and post-test designs with a control group. The population was all breast cancer patients attending hospitals in Semarang and Pekalongan Districts. The research subjects were 64 respondents who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Respondents were selected randomly and divided into two groups, namely 32 in the treatment group (DRM Pain Relief application) and 32 in the control group (only received drugs as conventional therapy in the hospital). Data were analyzed using a multivariate test. The application of DRM Pain Relief was effective in reducing the degree of pain (p < .001), and effectively increasing comfort (p < .001), as well as improving the quality of life of breast cancer patients in the components of improvement in symptom status, functional status, and global quality of life with p-value <.001, .003, < .001, respectively. The DRM Pain Relief effectively reduces the degree of pain, increases comfort, and improves the quality of life of breast cancer patients.

Comparison of Quality of Life Between Breast Cancer Patients Treated With and Without Adjunctive Traditional Chinese Medicine in Taiwan.

In Taiwan, breast cancer has the highest incidence among all cancers. Although adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine treatment (TCM) have been used to ameliorate the side effects or discomfort caused by cancer treatments, no study has focused on the assessment of the quality of life of patients undergoing adjunctive TCM treatments. This study compared the quality of life between breast cancer patients treated with and without adjunctive TCM. Questionnaires were collected from 7 hospitals with a Chinese medicine clinic in 2018 to 2019. Breast cancer patients who had cancer stages I, II, or III and also underwent resection surgery were included in the study. They were divided into 2 groups: patients receiving cancer treatments with adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine (TCM group) and those receiving cancer treatments without adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine (non-TCM group). A 1:1 matching was used to obtain the study participants. The EQ-5D questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test and ANOVA to compare the differences between variables. The conditional multiple regression model was applied to explore the factors associated with quality of life in breast cancer patients. A total of 543 participants were surveyed, and 450 participants were included in the study. The EQ-5D score of the TCM group (81.60 ± 11.67) was significantly higher than that of the non-TCM group (78.80 ± 13.10; P < .05). The results of a conditional multiple regression model showed that the TCM group had a higher (3.45 points) quality of life than non-TCM group (P = .002) after adjusting for other related factors. After stratifying by cancer stage, patients with cancer stages II and III scored 5.58 and 4.35 points higher in the TCM group than did those in the non-TCM group (P < .05). Breast cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment with adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine have a higher quality of life than those treated without adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine.

Quality of life of breast cancer patients

WHO in 2019 has reported 2.09 million cases and 62, 7000 deaths of breast cancer in women. It affects women in the developing and developed countries across the globe. In our country, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer, among women which begins in the early thirties and peaks at 60-65 years of age. Breast cancer if detected early can be treated. The study was done to assess Quality of Life among breast Cancer patients. Using Sister Callista Roy’s General system theory this descriptive study was done on 100 Breast Cancer patients in Oncology OPD using QOL tool. Study findings revealed that with all treatment and follow-up regimes too only 54% had a good QOL rest being affected with disease and having some or other issues. To conclude even if there are extensive advancements in treatment modalities related to the Breast cancer still the fears, finances and social activities are widely affected.

Breast cancer and body image: The roles of the male partner

Background: Cancer is a group of diseases with different causes, manifestations, treatment, and prognosis, characterized with an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cell. In women; cancer of the breast is the second most common cancer after cervical cancer and the second leading cancer’s death following lung cancer among women in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, it has become the most common female malignancy with a prevalence of 12.5%. However, the same treatment that offers better cure rates may also result in a serious decrease in quality of life, psychological problems, as well as provoking changes in their bodies. Societal behavior towards breast cancer patients makes a woman that is newly diagnosed with breast cancer become tearful, ashamed, and discouraged. Aims: To examine breast cancer, body image and the roles of the male partner. Methods: The data for this review paper are from published studies. Electronic databases of Medline, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were searched using the keywords: breast cancer, body image, roles of the male partner and literature were retrieved and screened for eligibility. The date limit considered in the literature search was from 2016-2021 to capture only the variables identified in this seminar objective. The author defined the topic of interest and the goal was to address the objective of the seminar topic. Results: Four themes (issues) emerged which are: (1) The Model of Whole-Person Caring, (2) Disturbed Body Image, (3) Psycho-Social Impact of Breast Cancer and (4) Roles of the Male Partner. Conclusion: Breast cancer poses a significant financial and psychosocial burden not only on patients, but also on their spouses, families, and broader social network. Breast cancer disease usually changes spousal roles as the women’s husbands take over their responsibilities. The disease influenced both partners and made stress a common factor shared by them. Husband plays a vital role in the lives of breast cancer patients through managing the finance, decision-making, providing emotional support, and remaining involved throughout the disease. Therefore, involving the husband in planned psycho-social interventions produces better results than merely patient-focused strategies. Male partners have a great role to play and should be encouraged and allow partaking in the treatment process of their spouses as this will positively influence their recovery.

Quality of life in breast cancer patients after immediate two-stage reconstruction

Quality of life in breast cancer patients after immediate two-stage reconstruction

Sleep quality, mental health, and quality of life in women with breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy among women and its prevalence keeps growing. Today, it is important to optimize the quality of life of breast cancer patients because the survival rates increase with early diagnosis and treatments. Our aim was to examine the sleep quality of patients with breast cancer, compare them with the healthy control group, and evaluate the relationship between quality of life and mental health. This cross-sectional study included 125 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and 125 healthy control patients who were admitted to the general surgery department of a university. In 60.8% of breast cancer patients, sleep quality was poor and sleep subscale scores were high. In addition, these patients had a poorer sleep quality, higher score of anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life (in terms of physical subcomponent) compared with the control group. Moreover, although age, marital status, education status, time of cancer diagnosis, menopausal status, surgical method did not have any effect on sleep quality in patient group; low income, accompanying chronic diseases, and increased levels of anxiety and depression worsened sleep quality and increased the risk. In patients with breast cancer, poor sleep quality, score of anxiety and depression were higher, and worsened the quality of life. In addition, low income, presence of concomitant chronic diseases, and anxiety score posed an increased risk for poor sleep quality. Therefore, physical and mental evaluation of breast cancer patients during and after treatment should not be ignored.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

Factors Affecting the Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

Diagnostic delay in breast cancer diagnosis: the role of health practitioners

Breast cancer is a significant health concern for women in Pakistan, with one in nine women facing a high lifetime risk of being diagnosed with the disease. Accessing timely and appropriate healthcare services for breast cancer patients can be challenging in Pakistan, and understanding the role of different health practitioners is essential to understand the functioning of the informal referral system. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the different aspects of patients' consultations with various health practitioners for diagnosing breast cancer symptoms. Data were collected from 168 breast cancer patients who had consulted local health practitioners before being diagnosed with breast cancer. Descriptive statistics, the Kruskal‒Wallis H test, and post hoc tests were used to analyze the data. The study found that most patients consulted general practitioners (59.52%) and pir (56.55%) for their health-related concerns. Consultants referred most patients to diagnostic centers, while pir and hakim referred no patients. Patients visited pir and general practitioners the most, but the average number of visits to pir and hakim was higher than that to other health practitioners (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, pir (130 days) and hakim (120 days) had longer treatment periods than other health practitioners, with hakim charging the highest consultation fees [i.e., Pakistani rupees (PKR) 18,000] and patients incurring the highest travel expenses to visit pir (p &lt; 0.05). Our study highlights the challenges faced by breast cancer patients in seeking timely and effective healthcare services. The absence of a formal referral system resulted in prolonged diagnosis times, extensive travel, and financial burdens on the patients. The findings suggest the need to improve general public awareness regarding breast cancer symptoms and establish an active cancer referral system to achieve early diagnosis, timely treatment, and improved quality of life for breast cancer patients, especially those with a lower socioeconomic status.

The synergistic effect of physical activity and nutrition to improve the quality of life in breast cancer patients: a systemic review.

Medical recommendations for balanced control of exercise, physical activity, and nutritional intake after breast cancer diagnosis remain unclear. Therefore, this review aims to summarize effective exercise methods and dietary opinions by reviewing clinical trial results. We systematically reviewed studies that evaluated 1) the relationship between exercise methods and quality of life improvement in patients with breast cancer and 2) the recommendations for physical activity, exercise, nutrition, and potential ways to improve life after breast cancer. To conduct this literature review, we searched the PubMed database for articles published until October 1, 2022, using the terms "physical activity OR exercise," "breast cancer," and "nutrition." After a primary review of the retrieved articles, we included clinical trials in this systematic review. We hypothesized that physical activity improves the quality of life after the onset of breast cancer, suggesting that a balanced approach to aerobic exercise and resistance exercise increases the efficacy of anticancer treatment. From a nutritional point of view, it is recommended that both physical activity and diet management are necessary for patients with breast cancer. Customized exercise and diet can help with weight loss, the reduction of cancer-induced fatigue, the regulation of hormonal changes, the reduction of inflammatory factors, and the improvement of mental health and vitality. Understanding the integrated mechanisms of physical activity and nutritional balance will improve the quality of life of patients with breast cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously advance exercise programs and develop an alimentary balance control program.

Self-care behaviors mediates the relationship between resilience and quality of life in breast cancer patients

Previous studies have shown that resilience could play an important role in enhancing the quality of life in women with breast cancer; however, the mediating role of self-care behaviors have not been studied. This study aims to explore the mediating role of self-care behaviors in the relationship between resilience and quality of life in breast cancer patients. A sample of 195 women with breast cancer (aged from 21 to 60 years; M = 45.32 ± 8.2) from three hospitals in Tehran, Iran completed online questionnaires measuring resilience, self-care and quality of life. The results of structural equation modeling showed that resilience (β = 0.546, p < .01) and self-care behaviors (β = 0.621, p < .01) positively predicted the quality of life in breast cancer patients. The bootstrapping analysis showed that self-care behaviors acted as a partial mediator between resilience and quality of life. The present study brings to light an underlying mechanism of the relationship between resilience and quality of life via the mediating variable of self-care behaviors for patients with breast cancer.

Impact and Association of Anaemia Severity and Its Treatment With Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients in Malaysia

Anaemia is a crucial issue among cancer patients and need to be treated properly. High incidence of anaemia in patients with cancer have been associated with several physiological manifestations, leading to decreased quality of life (QOL). The current study aimed to assess the severity of anaemia, evaluate the current treatment guideline of anaemia, and to determine the association between the level of anaemia and its treatment on quality of life of breast cancer patients in Malaysia. This prospective study conducted among breast cancer patients in multicancer centers in Malaysia including three follow ups after receiving their chemotherapy. Clinical data were collected from their medical records and at each follow up, they asked to fill up a functional assessment chronic therapy (FACT-An) questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were done using SPSS. The mean age of participants was 52 ± 11 years old, and out of 120 participants, 32% received anti-anaemic treatments including 87% of them were prescribed with iron supplementation and only 13% received combination of blood transfusion and iron therapy. Surprisingly, none of the participants received erythropoietin stimulating agents (ESAs). Statistical tests also indicated a significant association between anti-anaemic treatments with haemoglobin level and QOL scores. However, this association was insufficient to significantly improve QOL or palliate anaemia severity among participants. This study showed a great evidence that, the current practice of anaemia treatment (iron therapy) among breast cancer patients in Malaysia’s healthcare setting, was not sufficient to palliate anaemia severity or to improve patients’ QOL. There is still a lot of gaps to improve in the management of anaemia among breast cancer patients to show a significant improvement in haemoglobin level. Therefore, respective organisations and oncologists are required to raise awareness about the optimal treatment of anaemia among breast cancer patients, as a result, improve their general wellbeing

Improving the quality of life in a breast cancer patient and caregiver: Protocol for the application of the integrative medical service model

Patients with chronic diseases require ongoing treatment, and caregivers face financial burdens as well as psychological and physical difficulties. However, the current healthcare system does not provide adequate systems or services to address the difficulties that patients and caregivers face. The purpose of this study was to conduct an observational case study in order to evaluate and improve the application of an integrative healthcare service model developed for distress management and improved quality of life in breast cancer (BC) patients and caregivers. The integrative healthcare service model was intensively applied to a patient-caregiver pair in this observational study. This was followed by gathering feedback from participants and experts, as well as reflecting on the content of the feedback in order to improve the model further. This study will then modify and improve the program with feedback and provide integrative medical services to a BC patient and caregiver. This study used the BC patients' pain management and quality of life enhancement model, aiming to provide basic data for the establishment of a healthcare service system for patients suffering from chronic pain due to diseases such as BC by systematically integrating previously applied interventions into the current healthcare system and soliciting feedback from patients and caregivers.

Radiation pneumonitis in relation to pulmonary function, dosimetric factors, TGFβ1 expression, and quality of life in breast cancer patients receiving post-operative radiotherapy: a prospective 6-month follow-up study.

To investigate development of radiation pneumonitis (RP) in relation to pulmonary function, dosimetric factors, and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1) expression in irradiated breast cancer patients. A total of 49 breast cancer patients who received post-operative radiotherapy (RT) were evaluated in terms of pulmonary function tests (PFTs), quality of life (QoL), development of RP, dosimetric factors, cytokine levels, and lung high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) before and after RT. ROC analysis was performed for performance of dosimetric factors in predicting RP, while frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped for TGFβ1 (rs11466345 and rs1800470) were also evaluated. All cases with RP (10.2%) recovered clinically at the end of third post-RT month. PFT and HRCT parameters were similar before and after RT overall, as well as by RP and the radiation field subgroups. ROC analysis revealed the significant role of the ipsilateral V5 (cutoff value of 45.9%, p = 0.039), V10 (29.4%, p = 0.015), V20 (23%, p = 0.017), and MLD (1200cGy, p = 0.030) in predicting RP. Higher post-RT TGFβ1 levels (p = 0.037) were noted overall and in patients with RP. Patient and control groups were similar in terms of frequencies of SNPs genotyped for TGFβ1 (rs11466345 and rs1800470). EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR-23 scores were similar in patients with vs. without RP. Our findings revealed significant role of dosimetric factors including MLD, V20 as well as the low dose-volume metrics in predicting the risk of RP among breast cancer patients who received post-operative RT. Implementation of RT, extent of radiation field or the presence of RP had no significant impact on PFTs.