Abstract
Although the psychosocial concomitants of early-stage breast cancer have been well-documented, the relationship between cancer recurrence and quality of life remains less clear. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study in order to clarify the relationship between recurrent cancer and quality of life, and to determine predictors of quality of life following recurrence. Sixty-nine women with recurrent breast cancer completed questionnaires assessing multiple components of quality of life at three time points: prior to recurrence, immediately after the diagnosis of recurrence, and at follow-up 6 months later. Perceptions of overall quality of life, general health status, emotional, social, and physical functioning were poorer immediately following the diagnosis of recurrence than they had been prior to recurrence. These women also evidenced significant improvement in several domains of quality of life between initial recurrence and follow-up; nonetheless, most areas of quality of life were impaired compared to prerecurrence. Self-reported physical symptoms were a strong predictor of post-recurrence ratings of overall quality of life. These data suggest that the recurrence of breast cancer is associated with significant changes in quality of life. Quality of life did not progressively deteriorate, however, attesting to the resilience of women coping with this major stressor. These data shed light on issues of potential importance to patients managing this serious illness and may have implications for health-care professionals working with this population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 47-57 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Breast Cancer Research and Treatment |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1999 |
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Keywords
- Breast cancer
- Cancer recurrence
- Psychosocial
- Quality of life
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
Cite this
Quality of life in women with recurrent breast cancer. / Bull, Andrea A.; Beth E, Meycrowitz; Hart, Stacey; Mosconi, Paola; Apolone, Giovanni; Liberati, Alessandro.
In: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Vol. 54, No. 1, 1999, p. 47-57.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Quality of life in women with recurrent breast cancer
AU - Bull, Andrea A.
AU - Beth E, Meycrowitz
AU - Hart, Stacey
AU - Mosconi, Paola
AU - Apolone, Giovanni
AU - Liberati, Alessandro
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Although the psychosocial concomitants of early-stage breast cancer have been well-documented, the relationship between cancer recurrence and quality of life remains less clear. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study in order to clarify the relationship between recurrent cancer and quality of life, and to determine predictors of quality of life following recurrence. Sixty-nine women with recurrent breast cancer completed questionnaires assessing multiple components of quality of life at three time points: prior to recurrence, immediately after the diagnosis of recurrence, and at follow-up 6 months later. Perceptions of overall quality of life, general health status, emotional, social, and physical functioning were poorer immediately following the diagnosis of recurrence than they had been prior to recurrence. These women also evidenced significant improvement in several domains of quality of life between initial recurrence and follow-up; nonetheless, most areas of quality of life were impaired compared to prerecurrence. Self-reported physical symptoms were a strong predictor of post-recurrence ratings of overall quality of life. These data suggest that the recurrence of breast cancer is associated with significant changes in quality of life. Quality of life did not progressively deteriorate, however, attesting to the resilience of women coping with this major stressor. These data shed light on issues of potential importance to patients managing this serious illness and may have implications for health-care professionals working with this population.
AB - Although the psychosocial concomitants of early-stage breast cancer have been well-documented, the relationship between cancer recurrence and quality of life remains less clear. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study in order to clarify the relationship between recurrent cancer and quality of life, and to determine predictors of quality of life following recurrence. Sixty-nine women with recurrent breast cancer completed questionnaires assessing multiple components of quality of life at three time points: prior to recurrence, immediately after the diagnosis of recurrence, and at follow-up 6 months later. Perceptions of overall quality of life, general health status, emotional, social, and physical functioning were poorer immediately following the diagnosis of recurrence than they had been prior to recurrence. These women also evidenced significant improvement in several domains of quality of life between initial recurrence and follow-up; nonetheless, most areas of quality of life were impaired compared to prerecurrence. Self-reported physical symptoms were a strong predictor of post-recurrence ratings of overall quality of life. These data suggest that the recurrence of breast cancer is associated with significant changes in quality of life. Quality of life did not progressively deteriorate, however, attesting to the resilience of women coping with this major stressor. These data shed light on issues of potential importance to patients managing this serious illness and may have implications for health-care professionals working with this population.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Cancer recurrence
KW - Psychosocial
KW - Quality of life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032920927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032920927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/A:1006172024218
DO - 10.1023/A:1006172024218
M3 - Article
C2 - 10369080
AN - SCOPUS:0032920927
VL - 54
SP - 47
EP - 57
JO - Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
JF - Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
SN - 0167-6806
IS - 1
ER -