Quality of life and adjuvant tamoxifen treatment in breast cancer patients.

About two-thirds of all breast cancer patients are treated with adjuvant hormonal therapy. Side effects of tamoxifen and their effects on physical, emotional and social functioning have been shown to impair the quality of life. Aim of this paper was to evaluate the side effects and level of influence on the physical, emotional and social functioning caused by tamoxifen treatment.

Influence of resection volume on locoregional recurrence of breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.

Background: The goals of breast-conserving surgery are to provide the survival equivalent of mastectomy, a cosmetically acceptable breast and a low rate of locoregional recurrence in the treated breast. This retrospective study investigated the impact of the resection volume on locoregional recurrence after breast-conserving therapy in patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective data from 185 women who were treated for operable breast tumours by breast-conserving surgery between 1995-1999 at the Martin-Luther-University in Halle/Germany were included in our study.

Prognostic impact of haemoglobin levels in breast cancer.

Background: Many patients with solid tumours suffer from anaemia, as a consequence of the disease itself or its treatment. Anaemia affects the quality of life and can have a negative impact on overall survival. The aim of the current study was to analyse the impact of haemoglobin levels on the prognosis of patients with primary breast cancer.