Quality of Life Measurement in Breast Cancer Patients
Author Information
Author(s): D.R. Bell, I.F. Tannock, N.F. Boyd
Primary Institution: Ontario Cancer Institute
Hypothesis
Can a quality of life instrument effectively discriminate between different levels of treatment-related toxicity in breast cancer patients?
Conclusion
The quality of life instrument can distinguish between different levels of treatment-related toxicity in breast cancer patients.
Supporting Evidence
- The quality of life instrument was able to show differences in toxicity between high and low dose chemotherapy.
- Patients reported better recall of acute toxicity when assessments were made closer to chemotherapy administration.
- Good agreement was found between patient self-assessments and physician assessments.
Takeaway
This study created a tool to help patients describe how they feel during cancer treatment, which can help doctors understand the side effects better.
Methodology
The study used a quality of life instrument based on linear analogue self-assessment to evaluate patients' experiences before and after chemotherapy.
Potential Biases
The physician assessing the patients was blinded to the treatment doses to reduce bias.
Limitations
The study involved a small sample size and may not represent all breast cancer patients.
Participant Demographics
Patients were women with metastatic breast cancer, aged between 2 to 5 courses of chemotherapy.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P=0.05 for diarrhoea, P=0.08 for alopecia, P=0.002 for vomiting, P=0.04 for nausea.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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