Purpose:

In this research, breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were evaluated for side effects of chemotherapy on their quality of life following education and home follow-up.

Patients and Methods:

This study was carried out in accordance with the principles of the pre/post test research. In the study, second and further cycles of chemotherapy treatment of 30 women with breast cancer were included. We investigated women between the years 2003 and 2004, at Ataturk University Medical Research Hospital, medical oncology service, outpatient chemotherapy unit. Our data was collected through a questionnaire and the Quality of Life Rolls Royce Descriptive statistics, McNemar, Wilcoxon test and paired t tests were used for analyses.

Results:

A positive change in the perception of the psychological health of women after training were statistically significant (p <0.001). Women’s rates after being educated for the management of chemotherapy and its side effects, adversly increased (p <0.001). The quality of life in women with breast cancer after education, “sexual disorder”, and the total life quality score in all areas except for sub increase in size were all statistically significant (p <0.001).

Conclusion:

Side effects of chemotherapy, education, and nurse home visits positively affect daily activities and social life, and further improve the quality of life and “will ultimately manage the side effects of chemotherapy in patients.

Keywords: breast cancer, quality of life, chemotherapy, education, home visits