Prognostic value of health-related quality-of-life parameters in early-stage breast cancer: an 8-year follow-up study

Psychooncology. 2011 Oct;20(10):1102-7. doi: 10.1002/pon.1822. Epub 2010 Aug 25.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose was to investigate whether self-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) parameters at time of diagnosis and/or 1-year follow-up are prognostic for disease-free survival (DFS) in early-stage breast cancer patients.

Methods: Data from 195 women, diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, who had filled in the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at time of diagnosis and 1 year after surgery, were analyzed.

Results: After a median follow-up of 8.2 years (range 0.09-9.45), 27 (14.1%) deaths and 22 (11.5%) recurrences were observed. Using Cox multivariate regression analysis, appetite loss reported 1-year following surgery (HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.50-5.66), p=0.002) was significantly predictive for shorter DFS, even after controlling for age and depression. None of the clinical or biological prognostic factors was found to have a confounding effect.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that loss of appetite probably is of prognostic value in addition to well-recognized clinical and biological data, in early-stage breast cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Appetite
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality
  • Breast Neoplasms / psychology*
  • Depression / etiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Quality of Life / psychology*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Survival Analysis
  • Young Adult