Quality of life of women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer

To identify the main affected domains of quality of life of hospitalized women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer; and to analyze the association between the level of quality of life and stage of cancer.

Method:

This was a cross-sectional quantitative, study conducted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between March and July 2017. Interviews were performed with 199 women. The researchers administered the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30, with analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software and the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results:

Mean global health status was 32.04. On the functional scales, cognitive functioning scored the highest (60.47), while role functioning scored the lowest (12.48). Fatigue presented the highest mean (69.57). The scores for global health status and the functional scales (with the exception of the social functioning) decreased as staging progressed.

Conclusion:

The stage of cancer affects the quality of life of the studied sample of women.

Keywords:
Breast neoplasms; Quality of life; Palliative care; Health profile

Scales	Min.	Median	Mean	Standard Deviation	Max.
Global health status
Global health status	0.00	33.33	32.04	20.87	91.67
Functional scales
Physical functioning	0.00	20.00	27.67	27.38	100.00
Role functioning	0.00	0.00	12.48	22.14	100.00
Emotional functioning	0.00	33.33	37.27	30.15	100.00
Cognitive functioning	0.00	66.67	60.47	33.43	100.00
Social functioning	0.00	50.00	47.57	29.51	100.00
Symptom scales
Fatigue	0.00	77.78	69.57	25.95	100.00
Nausea and vomiting	0.00	33.33	34.00	33.70	100.00
Pain	0.00	83.33	67.42	35.35	100.00
Dyspnea	0.00	33.33	42.38	41.26	100.00
Insomnia	0.00	33.33	47.40	43.72	100.00
Appetite loss	0.00	66.67	53.10	39.92	100.00
Constipation	0.00	33.33	47.57	42.82	100.00
Diarrhea	0.00	0.00	8.21	24.27	100.00
Financial difficulties	0.00	100.00	69.01	38.85	100.00

	Current stage of disease
	II			III			IV
Scale	*Med.	[25% ;	75%]	*Med.	[25% ;	75%]	*Med.	[25% ;	75%]	†p-value
Global health status
Global health status	50	33.33	58.33	41.67	25	50	33.33	16.67	41.67	0.0113
Functional scales
Physical functioning	46.67	26.67	63.33	40	13.33	73.33	13.33	0	33.33	0.0000
Role functioning	0	0	33.33	0	0	58.33	0	0	0	0.0016
Emotional functioning	58.33	29.17	70.83	41.67	16.67	66.67	33.33	8.33	58.33	0.0405
Cognitive functioning	83.33	50	100	83.33	33.33	100	66.67	33.33	83.33	0.0248
Social functioning	50	41.67	83.33	50	33.33	83.33	50	16.67	66.67	0.0561
Symptom scales
Fatigue	77.78	50	88.89	66.67	44.44	88.89	77.78	55.56	88.89	0.5057
Nausea and vomiting	16.67	0	50	33.33	0	66.67	33.33	0	50	0.5451
Pain	83.33	8.33	83.33	83.33	66.67	100	83.33	50	100	0.1906
Dyspnea	0	0	66.67	33.33	0	66.67	33.33	0	100	0.2074
Insomnia	0	0	83.33	33.33	0	100	33.33	0	100	0.5116
Appetite loss	33.33	0	83.33	33.33	16.67	83.33	66.67	33.33	100	0.1324
Constipation	0	0	83.33	33.33	0	66.67	66.67	0	100	0.0824
Diarrhea	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.3066
Financial difficulties	66.67	33.33	100	100	66.67	100	100	33.33	100	0.2050

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Escola de Enfermagem Rua São Manoel, 963 -Campus da Saúde , 90.620-110 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil, Fone: (55 51) 3308-5242 / Fax: (55 51) 3308-5436 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil
E-mail: revista@enf.ufrgs.br

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[1] Corresponding author:
Marcelle Miranda da Silva E-mail: marcellemsufrj@gmail.com