Skip to main content

Table 4 Breast cancer patients' pre-diagnosis and follow-ups functioning and symptoms scores as measured by the EORTC QLQ-BR23* (n = 99)

From: Quality of life in patients with breast cancer before and after diagnosis: an eighteen months follow-up study

 

Baseline assessment

3 months follow-up

18 months follow-up

P

 

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

 

Functioning

    

Body image

86.2 (18.8)

61.4 (34.4)

60.8 (34.4)

<0.001

Sexual functioning

82.3 (22.4)

74.5 (21.9)

67.7 (26.4)

<0.001

Sexual enjoyment

51.6 (25.3)

46.6 (25.1)

23.3 (28.8)

<0.001

Future perspective

29.9 (29.5)

36.0 (26.4)

36.7 (29.1)

<0.001

Symptoms+

    

Arm symptoms

7.7 (13.3)

17.2 (16.5)

24.8 (20.2)

<0.001

Breast symptoms

15.6 (15.0)

10.2 (14.0)

6.5 (9.7)

<0.001

Systematic therapy side effects

15.7 (11.8)

29.2 (17.5)

18.0 (13.7)

<0.001

Upset by hair loss

0.00

38.9 (38.9)

50.0 (18.2)

0.003

  1. * Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing a higher level of functioning.
  2. + Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing a higher level of symptoms.