Menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors nearly 6 years after diagnosis.

Objective: We investigated the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms, nearly 6 years from diagnosis, in women who had not experienced recurrent breast cancer or a new primary breast cancer (active disease) and were no longer taking oral adjuvant endocrine therapy (OAET).

Methods: A total of 1,683 women recruited within 12 months of diagnosis with invasive breast cancer completed an enrollment questionnaire and five annual follow-up questionnaires. Only women who had never reported active disease and were not taking OAET at their fifth follow-up were included in the analysis.

Persistent breast pain 5 years after treatment of invasive breast cancer is largely unexplained by factors associated with treatment.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of breast pain persisting 5 years after the initial treatment of breast cancer (BC) and the relationship between those persistent symptoms and general well-being.

Methods: The study involved women from Victoria, Australia, who had survived at least 5 years from diagnosis, remained free from recurrence or new BC and completed the fifth annual follow-up questionnaire. Analysis involved both multivariable logistic and linear regression.

Patterns of use of oral adjuvant endocrine therapy in Australian breast cancer survivors 5 years from diagnosis.

Objective: Oral adjuvant endocrine therapy (OAET) substantially improves the survival of women with hormone receptor-positive (HR) breast cancer. However, we reported previously that at 3 to 4 years after diagnosis, 18% of affected women are not using OAET primarily because of estrogen deficiency symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the use of OAET in women with HR breast cancer 5 to 6 years from diagnosis.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer and pregnancy following treatment for breast cancer, in a cohort of women from Victoria, Australia, with a first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer.

Background: This study examined pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) and pregnancy following treatment for breast cancer.

Methods: We analysed data from a questionnaire-based, prospective study of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Timing of diagnosis in relation to pregnancy was self-reported in the enrolment questionnaire.

Lymphedema: experience of a cohort of women with breast cancer followed for 4 years after diagnosis in Victoria, Australia.

Purpose: The aim of this work was to study the incidence and prevalence of self-reported lymphedema in breast cancer survivors between 2 and 4 years following diagnosis, the factors associated with the development of lymphedema and the impact of lymphedema on psychological well-being.

Methods: We assessed self-reported lymphedema in the BUPA Health Foundation Health and Wellbeing After Breast Cancer Study, a questionnaire-based study of 1,683 women newly diagnosed with their first episode of invasive breast cancer in Victoria, Australia. Psychological well-being was assessed using the Psychological General Well-being Index.

Use of imaging in surveillance of women with early stage breast cancer.

Background: There is no evidence of benefit in terms of survival or quality of life for intensive surveillance of women with early breast cancer (BC) and current guidelines reflect this. We have examined whether Victorian women, nearly 4 years from a diagnosis of localized BC, were being managed according to these guidelines.

Methods: Participants are women in the BUPA Health Foundation Health and Wellbeing after Breast Cancer prospective cohort study.

Understanding discontinuation of oral adjuvant endocrine therapy by women with hormone receptor-positive invasive breast cancer nearly 4 years from diagnosis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of discontinuation of oral adjuvant endocrine therapy (OAET) in women nearly 4 years from the diagnosis of their first episode of invasive breast cancer and the reasons for such discontinuation.

Methods: We used a large, prospective cohort study of women who had been diagnosed with their first episode of invasive breast cancer between 2004 and 2006, recruited through a state-based cancer registry. All participants completed an enrollment questionnaire (EQ) within 12 months of diagnosis and annual follow-up questionnaires (FQs) thereafter.

Changes in patterns of use of cigarettes and alcohol in women after a first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer: a cohort study of women from Victoria, Australia.

Purpose: Smoking and alcohol consumption after breast cancer diagnosis have received little attention. The aim of this study was to describe the change in smoking and alcohol consumption of women in the BUPA Health Foundation Health and Wellbeing After Breast Cancer Study in the first 2 years after diagnosis.

Methods: We documented cigarette and alcohol use at diagnosis in a prospective cohort study of 1,588 Australian women with invasive breast cancer in an enrolment questionnaire and again 2 years later (follow-up questionnaire, FQ1).

Breast cancer survivors' beliefs about the causes of breast cancer.

Objective: To explore the beliefs held by breast cancer (BC) survivors about the factors that contribute to the development of their BC.  

Methods: The BUPA Health Foundation Health and Well-being after Breast Cancer Study is a prospective cohort study of 1684 women recruited within 12 months of their first diagnosis with invasive BC. Participants completed an enrollment questionnaire (EQ), first follow-up questionnaire (FQ1) and a second follow-up questionnaire (FQ2), 12 months and 24 months post-EQ, respectively.

The relationship between hormone therapy use at the time of diagnosis of breast cancer and tumor characteristics.

Exposure to postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) may affect the stage, histological type, and hormone receptor (HR) status of invasive breast cancer at the time of diagnosis. One thousand six hundred eighty-four women with newly diagnosed first invasive breast cancer were recruited to the "MBF Foundation Health and Wellbeing after Breast Cancer Study." Women using systemic HT estrogen (E) or E combined with progesterone (P) at the time of diagnosis of breast cancer were compared with those not using HT.

Psychological well-being in a cohort of women with invasive breast cancer nearly 2 years after diagnosis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to document the psychological well-being of a group of women with invasive breast cancer (BC) on an average of nearly 2 years after their diagnosis.

Methods: Participants were women in the Medical Benefits Fund Australia Limited Foundation Health and Wellbeing after Breast Cancer Study, a cohort study of 1,684 women recruited within 12 months of their diagnosis with invasive BC, who completed their first annual follow-up questionnaire. Psychological well-being was measured using the Psychological General Well Being Index questionnaire (PGWB) in women with BC.