Evaluation Of The Tools Used To Assess The Quality Of Life In Breast Cancer Survivors: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Cancer is a disease that can originate in almost any tissue or organ of the body when abnormal cells proliferate uncontrollably, invading neighboring tissues or organs, and spread to other parts of the body. The most prevalent cancer in the world is breast cancer (BC). The disease itself affects patients' physical and emotional health, as well as their families, social lives, and employment. Additionally, BC treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy can have severe side effects on patients. This complex phenomenon impacts the quality of life (QOL) of BC patients negatively. This review is aimed at identifying the pragmatic and valid clinical tool to determine the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in females with BC. A comprehensive search was conducted in Google Scholar, Cochrane, EbscoHost, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database from inception to December 2024. The total number of screened articles were 46, out of which 39 articles provided relevant data on the QOL of BC patients. The reviewed articles included those that focused on populations of BC patients whose QOL was affected by either the treatment interventions or the disease itself. The results from these articles suggest an overall reduction in the scores on the functional scales of the questionnaires, whereas an increase in the scores on the symptom scale is exhibited, both indicating a poor QOL as the stage of the disease progresses. After reviewing the articles, it was determined that each of these studies used either C30 or BR23, or both, to compare the various QOL domains in BC patients, validating its efficacy. The EORTC questionnaires are therefore the most valid and reliable instruments for assessing the QOL in patients with BC.