e19644 Background: This cross-sectional survey describes the prevalence of moderate/severe symptoms among patients in a survivorship clinic. Methods: We administered QoL questionnaires (FACT-B, SF-36, HADS) to pts. treated for stage I-III disease at a survivorship visit. For symptoms reported by at least 18/55 subjects, we identified risk factors using logistic regression. Results: Subjects (n=55) were age 55.9(+8.9) yrs at study, age 52.6(+9.3) at dx, and median 23.7 (range 6.3-157.2) mos. from dx of stage I (30.9%), II (54.5%), or III (14.6%) disease. Systemic treatment included chemotherapy only (20.0%), endocrine therapy only (30.9%), or both therapies (49.1%). Currently, 65.5% were on endocrine therapy. Symptoms experienced “quite a bit” or “very much” during the past wk were: hot flashes (45.5%), joint pain (30.9%), weight gain (30.9%), loss of libido (30.9%), vaginal dryness (27.3%), and night sweats (27.3%). In the past mo., 43.6% accomplished less than they would have liked due to physical health, and 30.9% felt worn out at least “a good bit of the time”. Sleep quality was rated “fairly to very bad” (32.7%), and 25.5% felt fatigued at least half the day during the past week. Vigorous activities were “limited a lot” for 36.4%, and increased with age at dx. Fre-quent hot flashes were associated with age < 50 years (6.40, 1.75-23.35) and being within 1year of dx (10.67, 1.05-108.69). Adjusted for age at dx, poor quality of sleep increased with stage of disease (9.68, 2.25-41.69, per step increase) and was associated with having received endocrine therapy only (9.98, 1.40-71.03) and being within the first year after dx (9.54, 0.76-119.47). Conclusions: Limitation in activities, poor quality of sleep, and symptoms of hormonal suppression are common among survivors of early stage breast cancer. Poor quality sleep and frequent hot flashes appear to decrease in prevalence 1 yr after dx, but other common symptoms do not. A longitudinal cohort study is underway.
Extended endocrine therapy in early breast cancer: how long and who for?
