The effect of supportive pamidronate treatment on aspects of quality of life of patients with advanced breast cancer.
Selective aspects of quality of life during supportive pamidronate (APD) treatment were assessed in breast cancer patients with osteolytic metastases. 144 patients were randomised to a pamidronate group (n = 76) or a control group (n = 68). A questionnaire measuring mobility impairment, bone pain, fatigue and gastrointestinal toxicity was administered at 3-monthly intervals. The analysis focused on changes in these quality of life domains over time. The median follow-up for both groups was 18 months. Mobility impairment and bone pain were significantly less in the pamidronate group as compared with the control group, due primarily to a rapid improvement shortly after initiation of pamidronate treatment. Thereafter, a gradual increase in these symptoms was noted in both groups. Gastrointestinal complaints and fatigue levels were similar over time in the two groups, suggesting that these symptoms are more dependent on disease-related events and cytotoxic treatment than on pamidronate treatment. The results indicate that reduced skeletal morbidity in breast cancer patients during pamidronate treatments is associated with an improvement in selective aspects of quality of life.
Department of Clinical Oncology, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
A T
AT
van Holten-Verzantvoort
A H
AH
Zwinderman
N K
NK
Aaronson
J
J
Hermans
B
B
van Emmerik
F S
FS
van Dam
B
B
van den Bos
O L
OL
Bijvoet
F J
FJ
Cleton
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077268:Pamidronate; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life
D004164:Diphosphonates; D000077268:Pamidronate