Type of Submission
Poster
Keywords
Quality of life, breast cancer survivors
Abstract
Background: Each year 124.9 per 100,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide (National Cancer Institute, n.d.). While it is a serious diagnosis, with modern screening and early detection, survivorship is higher than ever before. The current five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with cancer worldwide is 89.7% (National Cancer Institute, n.d.). The emphasis of this literature review is to address the perceived quality of life of this population. Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to determine how women who have survived a diagnosis of breast cancer perceive their quality of life (QOL). Methods: This review examined research published between 2007-2017. A database search was conducted using the terms quality of life and breast cancer survivors. Ten articles were chosen for inclusion. Eight of the articles were correlational, one was a cohort study, and one was a randomized control trial. Results: Several of the studies reported that physical activity is associated with an increase in QOL. Some of the articles also conclude that decreases in mental health decrease overall QOL. The remaining articles address additional determinants of QOL such as comorbidities, age, income, stage of cancer, length of cancer, type of treatment, body mass index (BMI), ability to perform activities of daily living, and support. Conclusions: Survivors of breast cancer perceive QOL differently across different populations, age ranges, and geographical locations. QOL is influenced by physical, mental, social, and emotional factors.
Campus Venue
Stevens Student Center Lobby
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-11-2018 11:00 AM
End Date
4-11-2018 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Review of Literature
Cedarville, OH
Background: Each year 124.9 per 100,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide (National Cancer Institute, n.d.). While it is a serious diagnosis, with modern screening and early detection, survivorship is higher than ever before. The current five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with cancer worldwide is 89.7% (National Cancer Institute, n.d.). The emphasis of this literature review is to address the perceived quality of life of this population. Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to determine how women who have survived a diagnosis of breast cancer perceive their quality of life (QOL). Methods: This review examined research published between 2007-2017. A database search was conducted using the terms quality of life and breast cancer survivors. Ten articles were chosen for inclusion. Eight of the articles were correlational, one was a cohort study, and one was a randomized control trial. Results: Several of the studies reported that physical activity is associated with an increase in QOL. Some of the articles also conclude that decreases in mental health decrease overall QOL. The remaining articles address additional determinants of QOL such as comorbidities, age, income, stage of cancer, length of cancer, type of treatment, body mass index (BMI), ability to perform activities of daily living, and support. Conclusions: Survivors of breast cancer perceive QOL differently across different populations, age ranges, and geographical locations. QOL is influenced by physical, mental, social, and emotional factors.
