Then and now: quality of life of young breast cancer survivors (original) (raw)

Women under age 50, a quarter of all cases of breast cancer, are especially vulnerable to physical and psychosocial late effects of their treatment due to having more aggressive treatment and their relative youth. In person interviews were conducted with the population-based sample: 185 women who were under 50 at diagnosis and were cancer-free 5 years later. Quality of life in the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains was assessed and compared with results obtained a few months after diagnosis. Five years after diagnosis, 92% rated their health as good or excellent, and only 10% said their health had been getting worse. Between baseline and 5 years, there were significant improvements in surgical symptoms, body image, worry about the future, patient-physician communication, intrusiveness of treatment, and all of the SF-36 measures except for general health. There were significant decreases in emotional support and the size of one's social network. More women wer...