Purpose: Health-related quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome measure in breast cancer management. Evidence of QoL of breast cancer patients in lower and middle-income countries remains scarce. We examined the level of QoL, cognitive impairment, psychological distresses, and the predictors of QoL among multiethnic Malaysian early-stage breast cancer survivors 1 to 3 years following chemotherapy.

Methods: A total of 160 breast cancer survivors from the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) participated in this cross-sectional study. Their QoL was evaluated with the Malay version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) version 3.0. Cognitive functioning and psychological distress were evaluated using the Malay version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BM) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), respectively. Data analysis was performed with Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analyses.

Results: At 1- to 3-year post-chemotherapy, the mean EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status of the breast cancer survivors was relatively low (60.5 over 100, SD = 10.88). One-third (31.9%) of them demonstrated cognitive impairment, and another 3.2% showed moderate to severe anxiety levels. The significant predictors for global health status and functioning included age, psychological distresses, cognitive performance, fatigue, appetite loss, insomnia, pain, and constipation.

Conclusion: Our breast cancer survivors demonstrated poor global health status. Health care providers and policymakers must strive to provide holistic intervention strategies to improve the multiple dimensions of QoL and the cognitive and psychological functioning of this vulnerable population.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06686-9DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

breast cancer
28
cancer survivors
20
quality life
12
global health
12
health status
12
health-related quality
8
malaysian early-stage
8
early-stage breast
8
cancer
8
qol cognitive
8

Similar Publications

GradeDiff-IM: An Ensembles Model-based Grade Classification of Breast Cancer.

Biomed Phys Eng Express

January 2025

School of Engineering and Computing, University of the West of Scotland, University of the West of Scotland - Paisley Campus, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK, City, Paisley, PA1 2BE, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.

Cancer grade classification is a challenging task identified from the cell structure of healthy and abnormal tissues. The partitioner learns about the malignant cell through the grading and plans the treatment strategy accordingly. A major portion of researchers used DL models for grade classification.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, are 2 densely populated South Asian neighboring regions with many socioeconomic and cultural similarities. In dealing with breast cancer (BC)-related issues, statistics show that people from these regions are having similar problems and fates. According to the Global Cancer Statistics 2020 and 2012 reports, for BC (particularly female BC), the age-standardized incidence rate is approximately 22 to 25 per 100,000 people, and the age-standardized mortality rate is approximately 11 to 13 per 100,000 for these areas.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Breast cancer ranks as the most prevalent cancer in women, characterized by heightened fatty acid synthesis and glycolytic activity. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is prominently expressed in breast cancer cells, regulating fatty acid synthesis, thereby enhancing tumor growth and migration, and leading to radioresistance. This study aims to investigate how FASN inhibition affects cell proliferation, migration, and radioresistance in breast cancer, as well as the mechanisms involved.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Triple negative breast cancers often contain higher numbers of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes compared with other breast cancer subtypes, with their number correlating with prolonged survival. Since little is known about tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte trafficking in triple negative breast cancers, we investigated the relationship between tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and the vascular compartment to better understand the immune tumour microenvironment in this aggressive cancer type. We aimed to identify mechanisms and signaling pathways responsible for immune cell trafficking in triple negative breast cancers, specifically of basal type, that could potentially be manipulated to change such tumours from immune "cold" to "hot" thereby increasing the likelihood of successful immunotherapy in this challenging patient population.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study presents a novel approach to modeling breast cancer dynamics, one of the most significant health threats to women worldwide. Utilizing a piecewise mathematical framework, we incorporate both deterministic and stochastic elements of cancer progression. The model is divided into three distinct phases: (1) initial growth, characterized by a constant-order Caputo proportional operator (CPC), (2) intermediate growth, modeled by a variable-order CPC, and (3) advanced stages, capturing stochastic fluctuations in cancer cell populations using a stochastic operator.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!