Longitudinal assessment of distress and quality of life in the early stages of breast cancer treatment

Abstract

Background: During breast cancer treatment, a decline in quality of life and the patient's psychological well-being is observed. The purpose of this study was to assess levels of quality of life and psychological distress during breast cancer treatment. Methods: Utilizing a longitudinal design, patients with breast cancer were assessed at three time-points during treatment. The within-subject analysis of variance was conducted to compare subscales of quality of life. Linear regression analyses were utilized to determine the contribution of psychological distress to the quality of life at each time assessment. Results: Significant differences between the assessment times on the physical subscale (p<0.001), socio-family (p<0.01) and emotional well-being (p<0.001) were showed. Specific domain-related breast cancer and psychological distress (p<0.05) were significant during the assessment period. No difference was found on the total quality of life score within the three points of reference for treatment. The regression analysis revealed that after treatment, psychological distress showed a higher percentage of variance of the quality of life (62.6%) compared to other treatment time-points. Conclusions: Significant changes to the quality of life and psychological distress subscales are seen during breast cancer treatment. The degree to which psychological distress affected quality of life varied over the illness continuum. Health professionals should pay attention to the variability of the emotional support and care needs of patients with cancer at different times of treatment. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.