Assessment of quality of life and its associated factors in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients

Investigating the effective factors on the quality of life in breast cancer patients is of utmost importance in reducing the complications of the disease. The present study aimed to investigate health-related quality of life and its related factors in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients.

In this cross-section-descriptive-analytical study, 267 patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer were included by simple random sampling method. Pre-diagnostic, diagnostic, and post-treatment information were recorded, and the EORTC Core Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) was administered to study participants.

The results of the X2 statistical analysis also demonstrated that the correlation coefficient between quality of life and age is 0.281, which is statistically significant (P<0.001). Furthermore, the results indicated that the difference in mean quality of life scores among different levels of education, different occupational groups, and marital status was not statistically significant (P=0.605, P=0.096, and P=0.442, respectively). Nonetheless, the difference in mean quality of life scores among individuals in the study across five stage T groups and a history of illness in relatives was statistically significant (P=0.007 and P=0.006, respectively).

The highest quality of life score was related to emotional function; nonetheless,  cognitive function and role play obtained lower scores. Also, age and severity of fatigue affect patients' quality of life. The results of this study emphasize the importance of considering these factors in the management of breast cancer patients in order to improve their quality of life.