Quantitative and clinical description of postural instability in women with breast cancer treated with taxane chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the postural control of women who received taxane chemotherapy for treatment of breast cancer using quantitative and clinically feasible measures.


METHODS
Prospective descriptive study.


METHODS
University-based comprehensive cancer center.


METHODS
Twenty women who completed taxane treatment for breast cancer and 20 healthy controls participated in this study.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Two quantitative measures of postural control were used, Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and center of pressure (COP) velocities. Two clinically feasible measures of postural control were used, the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FABS) and Timed Up & Go (TUG) test.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy controls, women with breast cancer had poorer postural control on all of the outcome measures. FABS and TUG scores correlated moderately with SOT and COP scores.


CONCLUSIONS
After taxane chemotherapy, women with breast cancer show significantly increased postural instability compared with matched controls. Clinically feasible measures of postural control correlated with quantitative tests. These results suggest that these clinical measures may be useful to screen patients to determine who may benefit from rehabilitation.
Department of Rehabilitation, Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton, WA 98310, USA. oncologyrehab@hotmail.com
Meredith A
MA
Wampler
Kimberly S
KS
Topp
Christine
C
Miaskowski
Nancy N
NN
Byl
Hope S
HS
Rugo
Kate
K
Hamel
D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane