Quality of Life and Depression Among Female Patients Undergoing Surgical Treatment for Breast Cancer: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Breast carcinoma is the most common malignant disease in women in the majority of developed countries. The development of depression as well as the quality of life (QoL) in these patients depends not only on the result of oncologic treatment, but on the cosmetic outcome as well. The primary aim of this prospective study was to investigate the changes in QoL and depressive symptoms among patients undergoing surgical treatment for breast cancer.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective study that included 100 female patients (mean age 60.26 years) who underwent surgical and oncological treatment for breast carcinoma at the University Hospital Center Zagreb, Croatia. The patients were photographed before and after treatment and were required to fill out a standardized quality of life questionairres QLQ - C30 and QLQ - BR23, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and a questionnaire on breast asymmetry.

RESULTS: Our results show that patients had significantly higher QoL levels compared with their pre-surgical results. Statistical trend of a lower degree of depression was also observed. A worse cosmetic outcome (i.e., postoperative assymetry) was associated with a lower QoL, but there was no association with depression. Depression was significantly related to the level of pain and lower financial status.

CONCLUSION: QoL improved after surgical treatment of breast cancer and was dependant on postoperative asymmetry, whereas the findings for depressive symptoms remained less clear. Future research should investigate more factors that may contribute to the QoL and degree of depression in this patient population.