Quality of Life of Early Stage Breast Cancer Patients 65 Years Old or Older Randomized to Standard Chemotherapy or Capecitabine: A Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study (CALGB 49907).

Purpose A phase III trial (Cancer and Leukemia Group B CALGB-49907) was conducted to test whether older patients with early-stage breast cancer would have equivalent relapse-free and overall survival with capecitabine compared with standard chemotherapy. The quality of life (QoL) substudy tested whether capecitabine treatment would be associated with a better QoL than standard chemotherapy. Patients and Methods QoL was assessed in 350 patients randomly assigned to either standard chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil [CMF] or doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide [AC]; n = 182) or capecitabine (n = 168). Patients were interviewed by telephone before treatment (baseline), midtreatment, within 1 month post-treatment, and at 12, 18, and 24 months postbaseline by using questionnaires from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), a breast systemic adverse effects scale (EORTC BR23), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results Compared with patients who were treated with standard chemotherapy, patients who were treated with capecitabine had significantly better QoL, role function, and social function, fewer systemic adverse effects, less psychological distress, and less fatigue during and at the completion of treatment (P ≤ .005). Capecitabine treatment was associated with less nausea, vomiting, and constipation and with better appetite than standard treatment (P ≤ .004), but worse hand-foot syndrome and diarrhea (P < .005). These differences all resolved by 12 months. Conclusion Standard chemotherapy was superior to capecitabine in improving relapse-free and overall survival for older women with early-stage breast cancer. Although capecitabine was associated with better QoL during treatment, QoL was similar for both groups at 1 year. The brief period of poorer QoL with standard treatment is a modest price to pay for a chance at improved survival.

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Quality of life and preferences for treatment following systemic adjuvant therapy for early-stage breast cancer.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.1998.16.4.1380 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 1380-1387 ◽

Cited By ~ 202

Author(s):

C Lindley ◽

S Vasa ◽

W T Sawyer ◽

E P Winer

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Adjuvant Therapy ◽

Sexual Function ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Early Stage ◽

Early Stage Breast Cancer ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Systemic Adjuvant Therapy

PURPOSE To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer patients who survived 2 to 5 years following initiation of adjuvant cytotoxic and/or hormonal therapy and to characterize relationships between QOL and patient physical symptoms, sexual function, and preferences regarding adjuvant treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eighty-six patients who had completed systemic adjuvant therapy for early-stage breast cancer between 1988 and 1991 were surveyed by written questionnaire and telephone interview. Sociodemographic information was obtained for each patient, and patients were asked to complete the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC), the Symptom Distress Scale (SDS), the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Short Form 36 (SF-36), a series of questions regarding sexual function, and a survey about preferences for adjuvant therapy in relation to possible benefit. RESULTS The mean FLIC score among all patients was 138.3 (+/- 12.2), which suggests a high level of QOL. The reported frequency of moderate to severe symptoms was generally low (ie, < 15%), with fatigue (31.4%), insomnia (23.3%), and local numbness at the site of surgery (22.1%) occurring with greatest frequency. Patients reported a wide range of sexual difficulties. Preference assessment showed that more than 65% of patients were willing to undergo 6 months of chemotherapy for a 5% increase in likelihood of cancer cure. CONCLUSION Self-rated QOL in breast cancer patients 2 to 5 years following adjuvant therapy was generally favorable. Less than one third of patients reported moderate to severe symptoms. Selected aspects of sexual function appeared to be compromised. The majority of patients indicated a willingness to accept 6 months of chemotherapy for small to modest potential benefit.

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Quality of life of early-stage breast cancer patients treated with radical mastectomy or breast-conserving procedures: results of EORTC trial 10801

European Journal of Cancer ◽

10.1016/s0959-8049(97)00312-2 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 307-314 ◽

Cited By ~ 231

Author(s):

D Curran ◽

J.P van Dongen ◽

N.K Aaronson ◽

G Kiebert ◽

I.S Fentiman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Early Stage ◽

Radical Mastectomy ◽

Early Stage Breast Cancer ◽

Breast Cancer Patients

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The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Depression and Anxiety and Improve Quality of Life Among Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients

Integrative Cancer Therapies ◽

10.1177/1534735419829573 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 153473541982957 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Haoyao Sun ◽

Hualei Huang ◽

Shengjun Ji ◽

Xiaochen Chen ◽

Yongqing Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Early Stage ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Early Stage Breast Cancer ◽

Breast Cancer Patients

Purpose: Positive results have appeared among nonmetastatic breast cancer patients with the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). However, earlier stage patient results have been mixed. This novelty of this study was the focus on stage I and II breast cancer patients. The objective of the current study was to conduct a meta-analysis of psychosocial functions in early-stage breast cancer survivors to determine its efficacy. Methods: A search of Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and PubMed yielded 3237 abstracts, which were independently evaluated by research pairs. Meta-analysis was conducted on 8 studies that included a total of 1053 patients. Psychosocial functions were categorized according to 3 domains: (1) anxiety, (2) depression, and (3) quality of life. Results: Improvement in anxiety was observed in patients treated with CBT relative to controls without CBT ( P = .04). Depression and quality of life improvement was not observed in the CBT group within or after 4 months of treatment ( P > .05). Conclusions: The results indicated that observed improvements in anxiety in patients with early-stage breast cancer were moderate. The effectiveness of CBT for the improvement of patient outcomes could not be determined, given the methodological and clinical shortcomings of the included trials.

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