[Quality of life of young women with early breast cancer and their partners: specific needs result in the necessity of development of specific questionnaires for the patient and the partner].
Purpose. To determine the feelings of young women with early breast cancer concomitantly with their partners at different treatment periods in order to create a specific quality of life (QOL) scale for this population. Materiel and methods. It was a prospective, multicentre, qualitative study, in patients younger than 45 years old at diagnosis and living with a partner for at least six months. Patients and partners were interviewed by a psychologist, from the diagnosis disclosure until follow up, using non-directing individual talks. Results. Sixty-nine couples were interviewed. Analyses of the interviews have highlighted the impact of disease on eight dimensions: psychological, physical, family, social, couple, sexuality, domestic, professional and economic dimensions. These impacts are mostly negative and are present in all periods and even after treatment for follow up. Discussion. A multidimensional profile of this specific population was established. A QOL scale dedicated to this population is being validated.
Centre Oscar-Lambret, 3, rue Frédéric-Combemæl, 59020 Lille, France. l-vanlemmens@o-lambret.fr
Laurence
L
Vanlemmens
Emmanuelle
E
Fournier
Diane
D
Boinon
Jean-Luc
JL
Machavoine
Véronique
V
Christophe
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D019529:Sexuality; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*