title: Anxiety, depression and quality of life in Chinese women with breast cancer during and after treatment: a comparative evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the psychological health and quality of life (QoL) of women with breast cancer, and to determine the relationship between anxiety, depression and QoL during treatment and one year afterwards.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this secondary analysis, 269 women undergoing adjuvant therapy for breast cancer, and 148 women with breast cancer who had completed all treatment within the last year completed a self-report questionnaire covering the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Cantonese/Chinese version, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, and demographic and clinical characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ongoing-therapy group showed higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower levels of all QoL dimensions than the post-therapy group. Linear regression results showed that both anxiety and depression were significantly related to physical and functional well-being, while depression was associated with social/family well-being in both groups. In the case of emotional well-being, anxiety had a strong significant association in both groups and depression a significant relationship only in the ongoing-therapy group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The psychological health of women with breast cancer is affected during and after treatment. Psychological distress in these patients, including anxiety and depression, has independent associations with impaired emotional, functional, physical and social well-being. The results highlight the importance of timely detection of anxiety and depression, and their proper management, during the treatment and survivorship phases of the breast cancer trajectory.
authors.affiliation: The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 7/F., Esther Lee Building, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Simone S M
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Winnie K W
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Doris Y P
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Eve T L
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Carmen W H
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002681:China; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Anxiety; Breast cancer; Depression; Quality of life