Breast cancer post-surgical impact on women´s quality of life during chemotherapy treatment: A structural equation modelling approach

Body change stress, sexual function, and marital intimacy in korean patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: A cross-sectional study

Objective

A crucial factor influencing the quality of life of patients with breast cancer is marital intimacy, which, along with emotional support, helps them overcome difficult treatments. This study aimed to elucidate and confirm the effects of body change stress and sexual function in marital intimacy.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey on 190 patients with breast cancer. They completed the breast-impact of treatment scale, female sexual function index, and revised dyadic adjustment scale.

Results

The patients' average age was 46.27 (6.84), and the age distribution ranged from 25 to 59 years. These variables showed statistically significant differences according to the chemotherapy period (P ​< ​0.05) and type of surgery (P ​< ​0.05). Body change stress negatively correlated with sexual function (r ​= ​-0.523, P ​< ​0.001) and marital intimacy (r ​= ​-0.545, P ​< ​0.001). Sexual function positively correlated with marital intimacy (r ​= ​0.363, P ​< ​0.001). Marital intimacy was affected by the changes in body stress (β ​= ​-0.473, P ​< ​0.001). Sexual function did not affect marital intimacy (β ​= ​0.084, P ​= ​0.289).

Conclusions

Changes in body stress and chemotherapy treatment should be considered in patients with breast cancer for better marital intimacy. Intervention strategies that consider the characteristics discussed could improve marital intimacy for patients with breast cancer.

Solidarity, support and acceptance: a celebration of the person, not the disease

St Andrew’s Hospital provides care for more than 700 patients diagnosed with breast cancer annually. Each person’s experience is individual, but created by their interactions with the healthcare providers from diagnosis through to treatment. The ability of St Andrew’s Hospital to deliver this care and create the best possible outcomes is crucial to each person’s recovery. Those affected by breast cancer and having undergone treatment at St Andrew’s Hospital are invited to an annual luncheon where guest speakers provide powerful presentations that align with each person’s personal journey post-treatment, providing them the ability to reflect on what bought them here, and how to plan moving forward. A number of exhibitors offering both free and for purchase items or services are available for people to look at, book into or purchase. The highlight of the day is the lingerie fashion parade where women gather the courage to display custom-made lingerie and swimwear, enabling women post-mastectomy to celebrate themselves and not the disease.

Symptom Clusters and Quality of Life in Cervical Cancer Patients Receiving Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy: The Mediating Role of Illness Perceptions

OBJECTIVES

Although studies shows that symptom clusters and illness perceptions are negatively associated with quality of life (QoL), it is unclear how these variables of cervical cancer patients who receive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) relate to each other. This study aimed to identify the symptom clusters in cervical cancer patients who receive CCRT and evaluate the mediating effect of illness perceptions on the relationship between symptom clusters and QoL.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 286 cervical cancer patients receiving CCRT from October 2019 to October 2020. M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy-Cervix were applied to investigate the symptom clusters, illness perceptions and QoL of the participants, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify symptom clusters. The relationships among symptom clusters, illness perceptions, and QoL were analyzed with the structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

A total of four symptom clusters were identified, including psychological status symptom cluster, therapy side-effect symptom cluster, sickness symptom cluster, and gastrointestinal symptom cluster (χ² = 1,552.282, Df = 78, P < 0.001). Symptom clusters, illness perceptions, and QoL were significantly correlated. Symptom clusters had significant direct (β = -0.38, P < 0.001) and indirect effects (β = -0.21, P < 0.001) on QoL.

CONCLUSION

Illness perceptions played a significant mediating role between symptom clusters and QoL in cervical cancer patients receiving CCRT. Strategies like prompting effective symptom management for the purposes of alleviating illness perceptions may contribute to improving their QoL.