Comparison of Climacteric Symptoms and Cognitive Impairment in Breast Cancer Survivors and Healthy Women

Quality of Life and Prolonged Symptoms in Korean Breast Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND

A culture of serious overwork in South Korea, more than other developed countries, may impact symptoms and quality of life (QOL) experienced by Korean breast cancer survivors (BCS).

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine health-related QOL and influencing factors in BCS in Seoul, Korea, who have recovered from treatment for at least 1 year and returned to normal life and work.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 199 BCS completed a self-administered questionnaire in Seoul, Korea.

RESULTS

Mean QOL scores were lower than expected, with 49% of the variance explained by depressive symptoms, physical fatigability, cognitive impairment, and social support. Psychological distress was high (67.8%), along with anxiety (47.2%) and depressive symptoms (36.7%). Participants reported a high prevalence of physical fatigability (71.1%), sleeping an average of only 6 hours per night, with 58.9% reporting poor quality sleep.

CONCLUSIONS

Quality of life was lower in Korean BCS than comparable studies in the United States, although participants received care at a premiere medical center. Depressive symptoms and anxiety were common and did not taper off over the 5 years after diagnosis, unlike BCS elsewhere. Korean survivors experienced significant physical fatigability, much higher than reported in a US study of mixed male and female cancer survivors. Overwork was not a significant predictor of QOL, although 30% of employed women reported working 45 to 90 hours weekly.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Findings demonstrate the importance of continued efforts to mitigate these symptoms in clinical survivorship care, as well as future research, to provide avenues for improving QOL for BCS, particularly in Korea.

Characterization of Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors and Health-Related Behaviors in Korean Patients With Breast Cancer by Abdominal Obesity Status

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the second most prevalent malignancy among Korean women. Changes in lifestyle during and after remission of breast cancer tend to increase abdominal visceral fat, leading to increased risks of metabolic syndrome and chronic diseases.

PURPOSE

This cross-sectional study examined the differences in metabolic syndrome risk factors and health-related behaviors between abdominally obese and nonabdominally obese groups of Korean patients with breast cancer.

METHODS

The participants were assigned to nonabdominal obesity (waist circumference < 85 cm, n = 77) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥ 85 cm, n = 59) groups, and a questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of risk factors of metabolic syndrome and health-related behaviors in each. The chi-square test and t test were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The average age was 54.2 years in the abdominal obesity group and 51.3 years in the nonabdominal obesity group. The average blood pressure and fasting blood glucose levels were higher in the abdominal obesity than the nonabdominal obesity group (117.3/76.3 vs. 108.9/70.4 mmHg, respectively [p = .001]; 96.9 and 90.1 mg/dl, respectively [p = .007]). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was lower in the abdominal obesity than the nonabdominal obesity group (55.4 and 62.5 mg/dl, respectively [p = .005]), whereas triglycerides were higher in the abdominal obesity than the nonabdominal obesity group (151.6 and 111.3 mg/dl, respectively [p = .006]). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the abdominal obesity and nonabdominal obesity groups were 42.4% and 9.1%, respectively (p = .001). Moreover, eating habits differed between the two groups, with the frequency of vegetable consumption lower in the abdominal obesity than the nonabdominal obesity group (p = .040) and the frequencies of salty and sweet food consumption and of overeating higher in the abdominal obesity than the nonabdominal obesity group. The percentage of participants who exercised for 30 minutes three times per week was 52.5% in the abdominal obesity group and 71.4% in the nonabdominal obesity group (p = .024).

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This observational study found more metabolic syndrome risk factors in the abdominal obesity group than the nonabdominal obesity group. Consumption of sweet foods and overeating were higher and the frequencies of vegetable intake and exercise were lower in the abdominal obesity group. These findings suggest that female abdominally obese patients with breast cancer exhibit health-related behaviors that require improvement and better management. Interventional programs should be developed based on the findings of this study to reduce cancer recurrence and mortality in patients with breast cancer.

Effects of Menopausal Symptoms and Depression on the Quality of Life of Premenopausal Women With Breast Cancer in Korea

INTRODUCTION

As breast cancer survivors have increased, improving quality of life of the survivors becomes an important issue. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among menopausal symptoms, depression, and quality of life and to identify the factors affecting the quality of life in premenopausal women with breast cancer.

METHOD

This was a descriptive, correlational study using structured questionnaires for 90 premenopausal women with breast cancer attending the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Korea.

RESULTS

Menopausal symptoms ( r = -0.770, p < .001) and depression ( r = -0.715, p < .001) negatively affected the participants' quality of life. The major factors affecting quality of life were employment ( t = -2.065, p = .042), depression ( t = -2.375, p = .020), and menopausal symptoms ( t = -3.863, p < .001). Menopausal symptoms were the strongest negative factor (β = -.508) affecting quality of life.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Developing nursing intervention congruent with the culture of Korean breast cancer women with treatment-induced menopausal symptoms is a high priority.