Quality of life in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy

Objective: This study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life of women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out in a specialized institution, comprising 145 women. Two standardized questionnaires for health-related quality translated and validated for the Portuguese language were used. The scores manual of the EORTC was used to calculate the domain scores of the questionnaires. Results: According to the first questionnaire, the emotional function was the most affected. The treatment causes financial difficulties for most patients (mean = 41.83). The symptoms with the highest scores were Insomnia (37.93), Fatigue (36.01) and Loss of Appetite (33.56). According to the Quality of Life Questionnaire -Breast Cancer 23, the mean score for Side effects was 50.07, meaning that many women experience side effects of chemotherapy, and impaired sexual satisfaction. Conclusion: Women with breast cancer showed changes in the following domains: financial, emotional, sexual satisfaction and future prospects. The most frequently mentioned symptoms were fatigue, insomnia and loss of appetite.