Determining the Concerns of Breast Cancer Survivors to Inform Practice

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Survivorship Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally and a leading cause of mortality in Singapore.
• Cancer survivors often experience persistent concerns throughout their survivorship journey.
• Understanding these concerns is crucial for developing effective patient care strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the primary concerns of breast cancer survivors.
• To inform clinical practice by understanding the long-term needs of survivors.
• To investigate factors associated with quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey of 1107 cancer survivors, including 438 breast cancer survivors.
• Utilized a questionnaire adapted from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Centre's Cancer Survivors Survey of Needs.
• Employed logistic and linear regression models to assess concerns and their association with QOL.

Main Results:

• The top concerns reported by breast cancer survivors were treatment and recurrence risk (55.5%), fear of recurrence (54.6%), and long-term treatment effects (53.4%).
• Other significant concerns included osteoporosis/bone health (39.0%) and communication with primary care physicians (37.4%).
• The average quality of life (QOL) score among survivors was 7.5 out of 10.

Conclusions:

• Breast cancer survivors face significant, persistent concerns regardless of their cancer trajectory.
• Patient care delivery must be designed to address these identified concerns to aid coping and enhance QOL.
• Further research and tailored interventions are needed to support breast cancer survivors' long-term well-being.