Patients' perceptions of health-related quality of life during and after adjuvant radiotherapy for T1N0M0 breast cancer

P. Sundaresan*, L. Sullivan, S. Pendlebury, A. Kirby, A. Rodger, D. Joseph, I. Campbell, H. M. Dhillon, M. R. Stockler

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aims: The effects of radiotherapy on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) may influence decisions about adjuvant radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery. We sought women's ratings of HRQOL during and after radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Women completed HRQOL measures before, during and after adjuvant radiotherapy for node-negative, hormone receptor-positive breast cancers that were less than 2cm in size. Acute and late toxicities were rated by clinicians. Results: There were 161 participants with a median age of 58 years (range 34-82). Mean scores for most aspects of HRQOL worsened only slightly during radiotherapy and improved to baseline levels or better within a few months. The symptoms rated as most distressing were: difficulty sleeping (29%), fatigue (23%), breast discolouration (21%), uncertainty about the future (18%), feeling sad or depressed (18%), feeling anxious or worried (19%). Most rated their experience as better (39%) or much better (28%) than expected. Grade 3 toxicities were rare (5% acute, 1% late) with no grade 4 toxicities. Conclusions: Radiotherapy was associated with transient and generally mild impairments in a few aspects of HRQOL. Concerns about adverse effects on HRQOL should not weigh heavily on decisions about adjuvant breast radiotherapy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9-15
Number of pages7
JournalClinical Oncology
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2015
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Patients' perceptions of health-related quality of life during and after adjuvant radiotherapy for T1N0M0 breast cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this