Impact of Disease Progression on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Walker Mark S, Hasan Murad, Mi Yim Yeun, Yu Elaine, Stepanski Edward J, Schwartzberg Lee S
Primary Institution: ACORN Research, LLC
Hypothesis
Disease progression would be associated with a decrease in composite indicators of HRQoL and worsening of symptom burden related to fatigue, pain, and other high frequency symptoms.
Conclusion
Disease progression has a detrimental impact on cancer-related symptoms, and delaying disease progression may improve patients' quality of life.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients reported worsening symptoms like fatigue and pain as their disease progressed.
- Specific sites of metastasis, like the liver and brain, had marked detrimental effects on quality of life.
- Patients with poor performance status had significantly worse quality of life.
Takeaway
When breast cancer gets worse, it can make patients feel more tired and in pain, which is not good for their overall happiness.
Methodology
Retrospective chart review and database analysis using Patient Care Monitor assessments from 102 HER-2 negative metastatic breast cancer patients.
Potential Biases
The sample may differ in unknown ways from the underlying population.
Limitations
The study used a convenience sample, was retrospective, and may not generalize to other diseases or treatment settings.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 57 years, with 72% Caucasian and 25% African American.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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