Factors Associated with Poor Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study

Simple Summary Although quality of life (QOL) improves over time for most breast cancer survivors (BCSs), specific subgroup of BCSs may show persistently low or deteriorated QOL even after their treatment ends. Early identification of high-risk groups for QOL deterioration is crucial for quality cancer care. This study was conducted to identify subgroups of QOL change among 101 Korean BCSs, and to examine factors associated with subgroups that show poor QOL. During a 3-year observation, 22.6% of the participants showed consistently low or deteriorated QOL. Persistent symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and comorbidity were found to be significant risk factors of poor QOL in BCS. These findings are helpful to identify high-risk groups for QOL deterioration among BCSs.Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of quality of life (QOL) changes in breast cancer survivors (BCSs), and to determine factors associated with subgroups of consistently low or deteriorated QOL. We enrolled 101 women recently diagnosed with breast cancer in South Korea and asked them to complete a questionnaire at baseline (within 1 month of diagnosis), 1 year later (Year 1), 2 years later (Year 2), and 3 years later (Year 3). We assessed QOL using the global QOL subscale from the EORTC QLQ-C30. We defined low QOL as a global QOL score 10 points below the mean score of the general population. Based on low QOL as defined in this study, we identified subgroups of QOL changes over 3 years. We identified four subgroups of QOL changes: improved (47.4%), stable (30%), continuously low (8.8%), and deteriorated (13.8%), and considered the last two categories (22.6%) poor QOL. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that significant determinants of poor QOL were insomnia at Year 1, fatigue and anxiety at Year 2, and fatigue, depression, and comorbidity at Year 3. In conclusion, persistent symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and comorbidity are potential risk factors for poor QOL in BCSs.