Influence of Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy on Functional Performance

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Therapeutics

Background:

• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy offers conservative surgery options for breast cancer patients.
• Chemotherapeutic agents can lead to functional impairments and side effects.
• Understanding treatment-related functional changes is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of neoadjuvant therapy on functional performance in breast cancer patients.
• To evaluate changes in mobility and strength during neoadjuvant treatment.
• To correlate functional deficits with chemotherapy toxicity.

Main Methods:

• Forty women were evaluated: 20 undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 20 healthy controls.
• Functional mobility assessed using the Timed Up and Go test.
• Overall weakness measured by hand grip strength; toxicity via a standardized scale.
• Assessments conducted pre-chemotherapy cycle 1 (pre-C1), pre-cycle 5 (pre-C5), and post-treatment (post-C8).

Main Results:

• Significant differences in preferred upper limb hand grip strength between groups at all time points.
• Impaired mobility observed in the chemotherapy group, with longer Timed Up and Go test times at pre-C5 and post-C8.
• Functional deficits were noted even with low-grade (Grade 1) chemotherapy toxicity.

Conclusions:

• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly affects functional performance in breast cancer patients.
• Reduced hand grip strength and impaired mobility are key functional consequences.
• Monitoring functional status is essential during neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancer.