Female Breast Cancer Patients’ Need for Social Support: Implications for Patients without Partners and Health Care Professionals

Author(s):  
Amanda C Ginter
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahel Aberaraw ◽  
Jemal Hussien ◽  
Abdisa Boka ◽  
Roza Teshome ◽  
Addisu Yeshambel

Abstract Background Breast cancer is a major life-threatening public health problem worlwide. It is the most common form of cancer among women in many developing countries including Ethiopia. Social support could change the course of cancer and can influence the quality of life among breast cancer patients. Therefore, purpose of this study was to assess social support and quality of life among female breast cancer patients attending in Tikur Anbassa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2019.Methods A Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia from March to April 2019. A total of 214 female breast cancer patients were included and a systematic sampling method was used. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used. Data entry was done using epi data manager version 4.2. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. Binary and multiple logistic regression was used to show the association of social support and quality of life. Variables significantly associated were declared at P-value <0.05 and 95%CI was used.Result A total of 214 women with breast cancer were recruited. Of the total participants, 124(58%) had good social support. It was found that participants who were college graduated (AOR=3, 95%CI: 1.5, 5.9 COR=3.2) and who had high monthly income(AOR=2.3, 95% CI: 1.2,8.5, COR= 5.39) were more likely to have good social support. It was also found that participants who were illiterate (AOR=3, 95%CI: 1.3,6.9, COR=4.8, p-value=0.008), who had systematic therapy side effects(AOR=3.8, 95%CI: 1.1,13, COR=4, p-value=0.035)and participants who had problem of appetite loss(AOR=3.5, 95%CI: 1.02,12COR=4, p-value= 0.047) were more likely to have affected QoL. Conclusion In this study finding, social support and, quality of life in breast cancer patients was low. Healthcare providers should enhance social support which may help to improve the quality of life of women with breast cancer.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Bartlett ◽  
Tulay Koru-Sengul ◽  
Feng Miao ◽  
Stacey L. Tannenbaum ◽  
David J. Lee ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 107 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2-2
Author(s):  
H Gadelrab ◽  
M Mokhtar ◽  
H Morsy ◽  
M Elnaggar

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer among females and the second most common cancer overall. Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays an important role in blocking ‘cancer-immunity cycle’ and is considered as a major inhibitory pathway. The aim of the present study was to clarify the alterations of expression of PD-L1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cytes (PBMCs) of female breast cancer patients and analyze its association with clinico-pathological criteria as well as therapeutic response. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 45 female breast cancer patients and 45 female controls. Blood samples were collected followed by PBMCs isolation, total RNA extraction, reverse transcription and finally, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using SYBR Green DNA binding dye. Expression levels of PD-L1 were calculated and then compared with clinicopathological parameters of the patients in addition to initial therapeutic response. Results: A significant difference was detected for PD-L1 expression levels in breast cancer patients compared to controls. A significant association with age, metastatic breast cancer, estrogen receptor (ER) negative status as well as high concentrations of cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) was detected. On the other hand, no significant association was recognized with tumor size, lymph nodal status, histopathological type, grade, progesterone receptor (PR) status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) status, triple negative, among de novo and recurrent metastatic patients and for the number of metastatic sites as well as the therapeutic response. Conclusions: This study paves the way of the use of PD-L1 as a noninvasive prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for poor prognosis of breast cancer.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Xu ◽  
Shanshan Bu ◽  
Xiushen Wang ◽  
Hong Ge

Abstract Purpose The application of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in T1–2 female breast cancer patients with 1–3 positive lymph nodes has been controversial. We sought to determine the survival benefits of PMRT in the patients with T1–2 and 1–3 positive nodes. Methods A retrospective study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Regs Custom Data (with additional treatment fields) from 2001 to 2011 was performed. Patients who received PMRT were matched by the propensity score with patients who did not receive PMRT. The Overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were analyzed. Results We identified 56,725 female breast cancer patients with T1–2 and 1–3 positive nodes, and 18,646 patients were included in the analysis. After propensity score matching (1:1), with a median follow-up of 116 months, PMRT showed an increase in the OS (P = 0.018) but had no effect on the BCSS. The 10-year OS rates were 76.8% and 74.4%, and the 10-year BCSS rates were 82.8% and 82.2% for the patients who received and who did not receive PMRT, respectively. Only patients with 3 positive nodes could gain the benefit of PMRT for BCSS. Conclusion PMRT for patients with T1–2 and 1–3 positive lymph nodes could increase the 10-year OS, and had no effect on the 10-year BCSS. Subgroup analysis indicated that only patients with 3 positive lymph nodes could benefit from PMRT for both the OS and BCSS.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. e0222860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Hua Chen ◽  
Ching-Heng Lin ◽  
Der-Yuan Chen ◽  
Wen-Cheng Chao ◽  
Yi-Hsing Chen ◽  
...  

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