A cross-sectional assessment of quality of life of breast cancer patients in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective This aim of this study was to assess the quality of life of Saudi female breast cancer patients and determine the effects of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on the quality of life of those patients. Study design This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Methods The data were collected from 145 female cancer patients who were recruited from outpatient units in different clinical settings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 2014 to February 2015. Questionnaires were distributed to the patients during their visits to the outpatient clinics after obtaining informed consent. Quality of life was assessed using a validated Arabic version of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life. Results Among functional scales, emotional functioning scored the highest (83.25 [95% CI 79.53–86.98]). The most distressing symptom on the symptom scale was insomnia (mean 84.14 [95% CI 79.95–88.32]), followed by appetite loss (mean 80.92 [95% CI 76.51–85.33]) and dyspnoea (mean 80.00 [95% CI 75.51–84.49]). Poor functioning was found in sexual enjoyment (mean 22.52 [95% CI 17.97–27.08]) while future perspective scored the highest (mean 76.32 [95% CI 70.52–82.12]). Conclusion This study shows breast cancer survivors in Saudi had a low overall global quality of life. Saudi women showed average scores on all the functional scales but the emotional ones scored the highest. Insomnia, appetite loss, and dyspnoea were the distressing symptoms on symptom scales while future perspective domain scored the highest in item of QLQ-BR23.