Quality of Life
Posted 4/23/2012
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I was delighted to see this study. Although we fervently wish that no one had to live with metastatic/advanced breast cancer, some women do, and the quality of their lives may be significantly compromised by the disease itself and/or their worries about it. I facilitate a marvelous weekly group for women in this situation, and one described herself as "living with a life on loan." I think that sums it up. Given the progress of research and treatments, some women do live years with Stage IV breast cancer. Another woman in my group, whose first diagnosis was of metastatic disease, has been on weekly Taxol for 13 years with NO progression.
This study looked at quality of life among women who had been living with this diagnosis for five years or longer. Here is part of the abstract and a link:
Quality of Life in Long-Term Survivors of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Jane L. Meisel, Susan M. Domchek, Robert H. Vonderheide, Anita Giobbie-Hurder, Nancy U. Lin, Eric P. Winer, Ann H. Partridge
Introduction: Psychosocial distress is common after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Little is known about the psychosocial adjustment of women living long term with metastatic breast cancer.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of women living with metastatic breast cancer for 5 years or longer. Read more »
Results: Eighteen (64%) of 28 eligible women completed the survey. Women who completed the survey were more likely to have had node-positive disease (2P ! .0007), to had taken adjuvant therapy (2P ! .01), and to have had hormone-receptor positive disease than women who did not (2P ! .04). Read more »
Conclusions: Although overall quality of life is good in this population of women living long term with metastatic breast cancer, there is a subset of women who are dealing with significant anxiety and depression, and a larger group who are experiencing burdensome sadness, hopelessness, and apprehension about their disease. Ongoing work to address the needs of this population is warranted.
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