Original Article

Advanced Clinical Stage at Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Is Associated with Poorer Health-Related Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study

10.5152/ejbh.2018.4297

  • Julia de Mello Ramirez Medina
  • Ingrid de Araujo Trugilho
  • Giovanna Nunes Belo Mendes
  • Josiel Guedes Silva
  • Maria Alexsandra da Silva Paiva
  • Suzana Sales de Aguiar
  • Luiz Claudio Santos Thuler
  • Anke Bergmann

Received Date: 07.08.2018 Accepted Date: 12.10.2018 Eur J Breast Health 2019;15(1):26-31

Objective:

To describe the clinical stage in women diagnosed with breast cancer and the association between clinical stage and Health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Materials and Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study involving women diagnosed with breast cancer. HRQoL was assessed with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30-Item Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer 23. The principal exposure was clinical stage (

Results:

In total, 302 women were included. The majority (58.9%) had been diagnosed with advanced stage cancer (≥IIB). Those at an advanced clinical stage had poorer role functioning (p=0.029), pain (p<0.001), and symptoms in the breast (p<0.001).

Conclusion:

Advanced clinical stage at diagnosis was found to be associated with worse health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients.

Keywords: Breast neoplasm, quality of life, neoplasm staging