Influence of Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy on Functional Performance

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is used as a treatment for breast cancer patients due to its potential to enable more conservative surgeries. Chemotherapeutic agents can produce side effects that result in functional impairments. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of neoadjuvant therapy on functional performance in breast cancer patients. Forty women were assessed. Twenty were undergoing neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancer, and twenty had not been diagnosed with breast cancer. The functional mobility was evaluated by the Timed Up and Go test, overall weakness by the hand grip strength test, and toxicity by a chemotherapy toxicity scale prior to the first cycle of chemotherapy (pre-C1), prior to the fifth cycle (pre-C5), and after the conclusion of treatment (post-C8). In the preferred upper limb, there was a significant difference between the values of hand grip strength among the groups at all assessment points. Significant differences were observed in mobility between the groups, with a longer time needed to complete the test at the pre-C5 and post-C8 moments, despite Grade 1 toxicity being identified. Therefore, functional performance was affected by neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer patients.