Health-related quality of life 18 months after breast cancer: comparison with the general population of Queensland, Australia.

GOALS OF WORK: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was compared between urban breast cancer survivors (BCS) and the general female population in urban Queensland, and correlates were identified.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: HRQoL data were collected at 6, 12, and 18 months post-diagnosis from a population-based sample of 287 women, aged 74 years or younger, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. The urban comparison group was drawn from a population-based survey conducted in 2004 and included 675 women aged 30-74 years with no prior history of breast cancer. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General questionnaire was used to measure HRQoL in both groups. MAIN
RESULTS: Younger (<50 years) BCS reported lower HRQoL at 6 months (mean, 80.2 vs 86.8) but were comparable to the general population by 12 months post-diagnosis (mean = 87.3). In contrast, HRQoL of older (50+ years) BCS at 6 months (mean = 87.1) was comparable to their general population peers (mean = 86.0) and was clinically better 18 months post-diagnosis (mean = 91.0). Compared with the general population, physical and emotional well-being among younger BCS was impaired at 6 months post-diagnosis (mean, 24.9 vs 21.0 and 21.0 vs 18.0, respectively) and did not improve over time for emotional well-being (mean = 18.8). These results persisted after adjustment for treatment-related factors, although receiving chemotherapy was an important correlate of HRQoL among younger BCS at 6 months post-diagnosis (-14.9).
CONCLUSIONS: This study not only shows that the HRQoL of BCS improves between 6 and 18 months post-diagnosis but also suggests that emotional well-being among younger BCS may benefit from targeted intervention.