Long-term health-related quality of life of breast cancer survivors remains impaired compared to the age-matched general population especially in young women. Results from the prospective controlled BREX exercise study

Eija Roine, Harri Sintonen, Pirkko-Liisa Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, Heidi Penttinen, Meri Utriainen, Leena Vehmanen, Riikka Huovinen, Hannu Kautiainen, Riku Nikander, Carl Blomqvist, Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist, Tiina Saarto
2021 Breast  
To investigate long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes over time in younger compared to older disease-free breast cancer survivors who participated in a prospective randomized exercise trial. Survivors (aged 35-68 years) were randomized to a 12-month exercise trial after adjuvant treatment and followed up for ten years. HRQoL was assessed with the generic 15D instrument during follow-up and the younger (baseline age ≤ 50) and older (age >50) survivors' HRQoL was compared to
more » ... of the age-matched general female population (n = 892). The analysis included 342 survivors. The decline of HRQoL compared to the population was steeper and recovery slower in the younger survivors (p for interaction < 0.001). The impairment was also larger among the younger survivors (p = 0.027) whose mean HRQoL deteriorated for three years after treatment and started to slowly improve thereafter but still remained below the population level after ten years (difference -0.017, 95% CI: -0.031 to -0.004). The older survivors' mean HRQoL gradually approached the population level during the first five years but also remained below it at ten years (difference -0.019, 95% CI: -0.031 to -0.007). The largest differences were on the dimensions of sleeping and sexual activity, on which both age groups remained below the population level throughout the follow-up. HRQoL developed differently in younger and older survivors both regarding the most affected dimensions of HRQoL and the timing of the changes during follow-up. HRQoL of both age groups remained below the population level even ten years after treatment.
doi:10.1016/j.breast.2021.06.012 pmid:34225091 fatcat:c5o7dz5w7nfsxilq5jxito77rm