Evaluate the Impact of Breast Cancer Treatment on the Quality of Life of Women With Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer

Background: The quality of life related to health has become an important part of the medical decision at the same time as the effectiveness and safety of treatments. Clinicians should consider the quality of life of women at each clinical phase of the care trajectory. Indeed, the physical, functional, psychological, and social difficulties that women live may affect their quality of life, hence the need to assess it. Aim: To evaluate the quality of life of women with breast cancer using a previously validated tool. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study with a longitudinal follow-up of patients treated and followed for breast cancer at the Gynecology Department of EHS El Bouni and medical oncology service, over a period of one year from April 1, 2013 until March 31, 2014. 196 patients were selected for the study according to specific inclusion criteria. Both questionnaires QLQC30/BR23 were informed after diagnosis (T1), after surgery and about a month after the end of chemotherapy (T2), and one month after the end of radiotherapy and the beginning of hormonal therapy (T3). Results: ANOVA analysis shows that the quality of life related to the health of women with breast cancer changes over time, overall, it is worse during the time 2 “treatment period” including chemotherapy. The alteration scores are concerned with both generic and specific functional dimensions. The same happens at the level of symptoms where we note an increase in different symptoms during the treatment. During time 3, women have a better score for “emotional” “role” functioning and overall health; they have fewer side effects and symptoms for radiotherapy and follow-up. We observe a decrease in sexual functioning during the diagnosis; it then slightly improves after the end of chemotherapy and decreases during hormonal therapy. Regarding the socio-demographic factors, we have found a significant association on the one hand, between the age of the patient and the importance of “body image” in the quality of life, and on the other hand, between the socio-economic level and the symptoms in the breast. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of evaluating longitudinally the quality of life related to the health of women with breast cancer at different times of the care trajectory, particularly during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, better psychosocial resources can be developed to help these groups of women.