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Breast cancer post‐surgical impact on women´s quality of life during chemotherapy treatment: A structural equation modelling approach
Author(s) -
Pereira Marta,
Moreira Célia Sofia,
NogueiraSilva Cristina,
Izdebski Pawel,
Pereira M. Graça
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european journal of cancer care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1365-2354
pISSN - 0961-5423
DOI - 10.1111/ecc.13349
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , coping (psychology) , quality of life (healthcare) , stressor , distress , clinical psychology , structural equation modeling , cancer , nursing , statistics , mathematics
Objective Breast cancer is an important public health problem that is increasing in incidence, being a stressor with a negative impact on women's quality of life. This study is focused on the evaluation of temporal precursors (one month before) of women's quality of life undergoing chemotherapy, considering post‐surgical personal, clinical, cognitive and neuropsychophysiological factors, according to the Transactional Stress and Coping Model. Methods This longitudinal study included 112 patients with breast cancer. Data were collected in two different moments: before and during the adjuvant chemotherapy. Structural equation modelling was used to support a theoretically based model in which some antecedent factors impact patients’ long‐term quality of life through a set of mediators. Results The associations of breast symptoms, body image and sexual functioning with psychological distress and quality of life were totally mediated by illness perceptions, while the associations of working memory with psychological distress and quality of life were totally mediated by self‐efficacy for coping. Patients with greater psychological distress showed higher levels of nadir cortisol. Conclusions Results showed the importance of assessing patients’ perceptions of their illness, prior to chemotherapy, as well as promoting more self‐efficacy for coping, in order to improve women's emotional state and quality of life.