Patients with High Risk Breast Cancer

고위험군 유방암 환자의 치료과정에 따른 삶의 질의 변화

High risk breast cancer patients receive aggressive treatments such as APBSCT in order to prevent the recurrence. These treatments take a long time and decrease the quality of life of patients as a result. The purpose of this study is to examine when the changes of quality of life are dramatic in general and in specific dimension. This is a time series study of two types of treatment groups, in which 15 patients were treated by chemotherapy only and nine patients by auto-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Subjects were in this study were stage III and above of breast cancer. Data were collected from April 1999 to April 2000 with the 3 month-interval starting after 3rd cycle of chemotherapy. Data were collected 3 times ; treatment period, treatment finishing period and 3 months later after the treatment. Ferrell's QOL instrument was used which had been developed for the breast cancer patients in 1989. Repeated Measure ANOVA was used to examine differences of quality of life at 3 points of time respectively. As a result, average age was 43.29 years (4.38yrs) and the number of married person was 22(91.7%). Scores of quality of life were 5.45 at 1st period after 3rd cycle of chemotherapy, 5.17 after treatment, 5.10 at 3 months later after treatment and difference of quality of life was decreased according to period of treatment (P=.085). Only the psychological dimension of the quality of life showed the significant difference (P=.045). Two different treatment groups showed a difference of quality of life at 3 month later after treatment. In conclusions, high risk breast cancer patients showed the decreased quality of life related to treatment up to 3 months later of treatment. Subjects who received APBSCT returned to the normal quality of life more rapidly than those who received chemotherapy. Psychological nursing intervention was needed during the whole period of treatment.