title: Trajectories of illness intrusiveness domains following a diagnosis of breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify trajectories of illness intrusiveness over the first 2 years after a breast cancer diagnosis and describe associated patient and treatment characteristics. Illness intrusiveness, or how much an illness disrupts life domains, has been shown to be highly related to quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women recruited within 8 months of a breast cancer diagnosis (n = 653) completed questionnaires at baseline and 6, 12, and 18 months postbaseline. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify trajectories in three established domains of illness intrusiveness: instrumental, intimacy, and relationships and personal development. Bivariate analyses identified contextual, disease/treatment, psychological, and social characteristics of women in trajectory groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one percent of women fell into a trajectory of consistently low illness intrusiveness (Low) across all three domains. Other women varied such that some reported illness intrusiveness that decreased over time on at least one domain (9-34%), and others reported consistently high intrusiveness on at least one domain (11-17%). A fourth trajectory of increased illness intrusiveness emerged in the relationship and personal development domain (9%). Characteristics of women in the Low group were being older; being less likely to have children at home; and having stage I cancer, fewer symptoms, and better psychosocial status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women experienced different patterns of illness intrusiveness in the first 2 years after a diagnosis of breast cancer with a high percentage reporting Low intrusiveness. However, women differentially followed the other trajectory patterns by domain, suggesting that the effect of breast cancer on some women's lives may be specific to certain areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine & Public Health.
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sohl
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine.
authors.forename: L Douglas
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Case
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Suzanne C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Danhauer
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Avis
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors