Defining and measuring reproductive concerns of female cancer survivors.
Although women diagnosed with cancer during their childbearing years are at significant risk for infertility, we know little about the relationship between infertility and long-term quality of life (QOL). To examine these relationships, we assessed psychosocial and reproductive concerns and QOL in 231 female cancer survivors. Greater reproductive concerns were significantly associated with lower QOL on numerous dimensions (P<.001). In a multiple regression model, social support, gynecologic problems, and reproductive concerns accounted for 63% of the variance in QOL scores. Women who reported wanting to conceive after cancer, but were not able to, reported significantly more reproductive concerns than those who were able to reproduce after cancer (P<.001). These preliminary data suggest that at least for vulnerable subgroups, the issue of reproductive concerns is worthy of additional investigation to assist cancer survivors living with the threat or reality of infertility.
Wenzel
Lari
L
University of California, Irvine, Center for Health Policy Research, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, 111 Academy Way, Ste. 220, Irvine, CA 92697-5800, USA. lwenzel@uci.edu
Dogan-Ates
Aysun
A
Habbal
Rana
R
Berkowitz
Ross
R
Goldstein
Donald P
DP
Bernstein
Marilyn
M
Kluhsman
Brenda Coffey
BC
Osann
Kathryn
K
Newlands
Edward
E
Seckl
Michael J
MJ
Hancock
Barry
B
Cella
David
D
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*