title: Health-related quality of life among breast cancer patients and its influencing factor in a Chinese population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer patients by using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) questionnaires.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 522 adult patients who were admitted to our hospital with breast cancer were collected during the period of Jun. 2007 to Dec. 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our FACT-B questionnaire study suggested that women below 50 years old, employed, higher education and annual income, lower TNM stage and receiving modified radical mastectomy manifested significantly better QOL using the assessment tool of the FACT-B subscale. Moreover, regression analysis indicated patients with young age, low stage cancer, high education and income were more likely to have high score of QOL, with ORs (95% CI) of 2.8 (1.52-4.56), 2.1 (1.15-3.95), 3.1 (1.45-5.12) and 3.54 (1.54-5.43), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed younger age, lower stage of cancer, higher education and income could influence the QOL of breast cancer patients in our Chinese population. Further large sample studies are still needed for confirmation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fang-Rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ya-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Long-Shu
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: You-Guo
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires