Impact of age-related socio-economic and clinical determinants of quality of life among long-term breast cancer survivors

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to identify age-related socioeconomic and clinical determinants of quality of life among breast cancer survivors five years after the diagnosis. The secondary objective was to describe quality of life in the studied population according to age. Study design: A cross-sectional survey in five-year breast cancer survivors was conducted in women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and 2008 in Cote d'Or. Main outcome measures: Quality of life was assessed with the SF-12, the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and the EORTC-QLQ-BR23 questionnaires. Socio-economic deprivation was assessed by the EPICES questionnaire. Social support was assessed by the Sarason questionnaire and clinical features were collected through the Cote d'Or breast cancer registry. Age-related determinants of quality of life were identified using multivariate mixed model analysis for each SF-12 dimension. Results: Overall 396 women completed the questionnaires. Women aged <65 years had a better quality of life and a greater availability of social support than did women aged >= 65 years. Body mass index, relapse and EPICES were found to be determinants of quality of life in younger women (p<0.006). For older women, comorbidities and EPICES deprivation scores were predictors of low quality of life scores (p<0.006). Conclusions: Five years after breast cancer diagnosis, disease severity did not affect quality of life. The major determinants of quality of life in younger women were disease relapse and EPICES deprivation scores while those in older women were comorbidities and EPICES deprivation scores. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.