Table 7 QoL assessment (EORTC QLQ C30 and EORTC QLQ BR 23) by choice of first systemic therapy (Mean scores and standard errors)

Physical Functioning

79.3 (5.4)

66.8 (3.9)

69.8 (5.8)

74.4 (4.1)

70.0 (5.8)

72.3 (4.1)

70.6 (7.1)

66.4 (5.0)

77.2 (6.8)

61.6 (4.6)

0.6359

Role Functioning

72.3 (7.2)

65.0 (5.2)

60.3 (7.9)

65.5 (5.5)

67.5 (7.2)

66.7 (5.1)

69.9 (9.1)

62.2 (6.4)

76.8 (10.0)

57.3 (6.7)

0.4942

Emotional Functioning

53.0 (5.1)

63.9 (3.6)

57.5 (6.2)

71.3 (4.2)

68.9 (5.5)

72.5 (3.8)

68.0 (6.5)

68.1 (4.6)

79.1 (6.8)

66.8 (4.6)

0.8325

Cognitive Functioning

87.0 (3.5)

92.2 (2.4)

75.0 (5.0)

84.7 (3.5)

78.3 (5.2)

84.7 (3.7)

76.5 (6.1)

82.2 (4.3)

85.0 (6.0)

77.4 (4.1)

0.5393

Social Functioning

73.5 (6.8)

70.0 (4.7)

59.6 (6.9)

79.8 (4.8)

70.4 (7.0)

82.1 (4.8)

74.0 (8.5)

70.7 (5.9)

89.1 (6.7)

70.6 (4.4)

0.7095

Global health status/QoL

54.1 (5.3)

55.3 (3.8)

57.7 (5.6)

68.2 (3.9)

73.0 (5.0)

65.7 (3.6)

72.7 (7.2)

63.1 (5.1)

64.8 (6.8)

68.0 (4.6)

0.8857

Fatigue

32.0 (5.9)

39.0 (4.2)

47.0 (7.0)

36.1 (4.8)

35.1 (6.7)

41.4 (4.7)

30.3 (7.4)

38.8 (5.2)

35.7 (7.2)

39.7 (4.9)

0.7902

Nausea/Vomiting

11.1 (3.4)

6.3 (2.4)

11.5 (3.1)

4.9 (2.2)

11.7 (4.6)

8.1 (3.2)

10.0 (4.0)

5.5 (2.8)

8.3 (6.9)

14.7 (4.5)

0.6123

Pain

27.3 (7.1)

38.8 (5.1)

33.7 (6.8)

24.2 (4.7)

25.7 (6.3)

24.5 (4.4)

29.3 (7.6)

28.2 (5.3)

25.5 (7.9)

30.4 (5.3)

0.8112

Dyspnoea

13.9 (5.4)

19.1 (3.9)

34.3 (6.4)

19.3 (4.4)

30.0 (7.1)

22.5 (4.9)

31.1 (10.3)

38.0 (7.2)

26.9 (8.3)

32.5 (5.6)

0.7507

Insomnia

43.4 (6.6)

34.3 (4.7)

42.4 (7.2)

23.6 (4.9)

35.0 (7.4)

29.7 (5.2)

32.9 (8.3)

30.1 (5.8)

37.3 (8.6)

28.4 (5.7)

0.2236

Appetite loss

23.1 (6.6)

21.6 (4.7)

21.2 (7.4)

15.5 (4.9)

19.2 (6.4)

16.6 (4.5)

14.6 (5.9)

14.1 (4.1)

16.9 (7.1)

17.7 (4.6)

0.7290

Constipation

12.8 (6.1)

23.3 (4.2)

28.5 (7.8)

19.6 (5.4)

22.5 (6.9)

20.2 (4.8)

28.3 (7.5)

11.3 (5.2)

12.3 (9.2)

24.0 (6.2)

0.5646

Diarrhoea

12.6 (3.8)

3.3 (2.6)

23.7 (5.3)

1.9 (3.7)

17.6 (4.3)

4.3 (2.9)

23.1 (5.7)

3.6 (3.9)

9.3 (3.9)

4.5 (2.7)

0.0014

Financial Problems

9.7 (5.3)

14.0 (3.7)

27.2 (6.7)

16.0 (4.6)

29.3 (7.2)

19.3 (4.9)

25.2 (7.7)

25.7 (5.5)

19.0 (6.2)

18.9 (4.2)

0.4670

Body image

80.9 (4.5)

84.5 (3.0)

63.7 (6.4)

80.4 (4.5)

74.7 (5.1)

86.0 (3.4)

70.3 (6.3)

83.4 (4.3)

71.1 (6.8)

76.2 (4.5)

0.0570

Sexual functioning

19.6 (5.6)

14.2 (3.6)

17.9 (5.5)

16.9 (3.8)

33.6 (6.6)

13.9 (4.6)

28.7 (6.9)

16.5 (4.9)

25.6 (7.4)

15.7 (4.9)

0.1086

Future perspective

29.1 (6.9)

36.6 (4.7)

27.2 (7.2)

44.0 (5.2)

45.5 (8.0)

49.8 (5.4)

34.9 (9.1)

45.2 (6.3)

59.6 (10.2)

50.9 (6.6)

0.4525

Systemic therapy

16.7 (3.5)

18.0 (2.4)

45.3 (4.4)

22.7 (3.1)

19.5 (3.7)

19.3 (2.6)

23.8 (4.9)

24.7 (3.3)

20.2 (4.1)

22.8 (2.8)

0.2588

Breast symptoms

18.2 (4.5)

20.9 (2.9)

16.5 (4.0)

13.6 (2.7)

13.6 (3.2)

10.9 (2.2)

8.7 (4.7)

12.8 (3.2)

8.4 (4.9)

9.5 (3.2)

0.9740

Arm symptoms

14.0 (4.0)

17.0 (2.6)

16.4 (5.4)

23.6 (3.7)

14.3 (4.9)

21.7 (3.4)

18.2 (6.2)

26.7 (4.3)

9.9 (5.9)

20.6 (3.9)

0.1347

Hair loss

3.9 (3.1)

3.2 (2.2)

43.7 (8.5)

23.6 (5.9)

0.2 (6.0)

9.9 (3.9)

10.2 (6.8)

14.0 (4.6)

21.4 (9.8)

7.9 (6.2)

0.4334