title: [Influence of clinical and biographical factors on the quality of life of women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adjuvant chemotherapy affects the life of women with breast cancer in different ways. The aim of this work is to study the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the quality of their lives and the impact of their clinical and biographical characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with breast cancer, candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy, participating in a randomised trial with non-pharmacological intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00964522), completed the EORTC QOL-C30 and QOL-BR23 quality of life questionnaires before, in the middle, and at the end of the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty women completed the questionnaires. Overall health got worse over time (p=0.01). Physical functioning (p=0.0001) and body image (p=0.002) were the scales that deteriorated most, and asthenia (p=0.004), nausea/vomiting (p=0.05), and anorexia (p=0.025), were the symptoms with the largest temporary impact of the chemotherapy. Unemployed women had worse physical functioning (p=0.046) and role functioning (p=0.005). Older women had more diarrhoea (p=0.013). The most qualified women had a worse score in financial difficulties scale (p=0.034). Women with advanced stage (III) underwent more deterioration in the body image (p=0.001) and were more concerned about the future (p=0.006). Women treated with anthracycline and taxane also had a worse perspective of the future (p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adjuvant chemotherapy deteriorates the quality of life of patients with breast cancer, basically in physical functioning and body image areas. Asthenia and gastrointestinal toxicity are the side effects that affect patients most. Women need support if they are older, unemployed, more educated, and have stage III breast cancer treated with anthracycline and taxane based chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, España. josem.baena.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baena-Cañada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estalella-Mendoza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Guerrero
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Expósito-Álvarez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosado-Varela
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benítez-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires