Sense of coherence as predictor of quality of life in early breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND/AIM:To examine the association between sense of coherence (SOC) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in early breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS:The study population included 406 disease-free breast cancer survivors who participated in 3-year and 5-year follow-ups of a randomized exercise intervention. SOC was assessed using the short version of the Orientation to life questionnaire (SOC-13) in the 3-year follow-up. HRQoL was self-reported using the EORTC QLQC30 questionnaire in both 3-year and 5-year follow-ups. The association between SOC and HRQoL was analyzed using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS:SOC had a strong positive correlation with global HRQoL in both 3-year (rs=0.57, p<0.01) and 5-year (rs=0.51, p<0.01) follow-ups. CONCLUSION:This study provides evidence of SOC's predictive value for HRQoL in early breast cancer patients. SOC might be used for identifying patients who will profit most from psychosocial support and intervention during the rehabilitation period.