title: Health-related quality of life among women with breast cancer - a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High incidence rates of breast cancer emphasize the importance of increased knowledge about the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this patient group. The aim of the present study was to describe and compare HRQoL among breast cancer patients shortly after diagnosis with normative data from the general population, and to investigate how clinical, demographic, and socio-economic factors and social support are associated with HRQoL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were identified in a population-based Breast Cancer Quality Register in central Sweden. Of 1573 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer during a one-year period (2007-2008), 69% (n = 1086) completed a questionnaire including the EORTC QLQ-C30, BR23 and the HADS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to age-adjusted normative data, breast cancer patients (mean age 62 years, range 25-94), especially younger women (<50 years), experienced clinically meaningful poorer HRQoL. Clinically significant levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were found among 14% and 6% of the patients, respectively. Factors associated with more problems/symptoms among study participants included chemotherapy, lack of social support, sick leave and a poor financial situation. Adding socio-economic factors diminished the association between age and HRQoL (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recently diagnosed breast cancer patients reported poorer HRQoL in several dimensions compared to normative data. In addition to clinical and demographic factors, an unfavorable socio-economic standing was associated with more problems/symptoms. The present findings emphasize the importance of taking a variety of factors into account when assessing HRQoL in the clinical setting.
authors: Regional Oncologic Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. marie.hoyer@pubcare.uu.se
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Høyer
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: Johansson
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Nordin
authors: Leif
authors: L
authors: Bergkvist
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Ahlgren
authors: Annika
authors: A
authors: Lidin-Lindqvist
authors: Mats
authors: M
authors: Lambe
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Lampic