title: Surviving cancer: a comparison of 5-year disease-free breast cancer survivors with healthy women.
abstract: Women with breast cancer are one of the largest groups of cancer survivors. This research examined whether breast cancer has a long-term impact on quality of life (QOL) by comparing 5-year disease-free survivors to age-matched controls and by comparing women who sustained a recurrence to disease-free survivors. Controls were recruited using the neighborhood control methodology. QOL (physical, emotional, social, and spiritual) was assessed during in-person interviews. There were no differences between disease-free survivors (n = 267) and controls (n = 187) on many indicators of QOL. However, survivors reported more difficulties with physical functioning, more physical symptoms, and more faith than did controls (all ps < 0.05). Compared to disease-free survivors, survivors with a recurrence (n = 37) had a worse QOL on most indices, less positive affect, more general fatigue, and more intrusive and avoidant thoughts (all ps < 0.05). There were no differences between the two groups of survivors on indices of marriage, work experiences, or spirituality. These findings suggest that the QOL of long-term survivors who remain disease-free is comparable to that of women their age with the exception of physical functioning. Women who sustain a recurrence suffer an impaired QOL in some, but not all, domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. vh2e@andrew.cmu.edu
authors.forename: Vicki S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Helgeson
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Tomich
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012803:Sick Role; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*