The alteration of static and dynamic postural stability among women with breast cancer during taxane-based chemotherapy: a descriptive study.

Introduction: Women with breast cancer who underwent taxane-based chemotherapy demonstrate diminished postural stability. However, the data concerning dynamic postural stability among women with breast cancer during taxane-based chemotherapy remains insufficient.

Purpose: To investigate postural stability among women with breast cancer during taxane-based chemotherapy.

Methods: Fifteen women with breast cancer participated in this study. Postural stabilities were assessed at five intervals during the course of chemotherapy treatment. Static postural stability was measured during single leg with eyes open (SEO) and eyes closed (SEC) conditions, while dynamic postural stability was measured during performance of the limit of stability test (LOS). Postural stability was described using 95% confidence ellipse area (EA), center of pressure (COP) path length (PL), and COP average velocity (AV).

Results: For static postural stability assessment, SEO condition was found to have significant increases in EA, PL, and AV (p = .001, p < .001, and p = .02, respectively). For dynamic postural stability assessment, a significant difference in EA was observed in the forward, backward, right, and left directions (p = .02, p = .02, p < .001, and p = .01, respectively). In addition, a significant difference in PL was found while performing in a backward direction (p = .02).

Conclusions: The findings showed that women with breast cancer may have experienced decreased static and dynamic postural stability.