Determinants of Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients in Shanghai, China

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 4; p. e0153714
• Main Authors: Yan, Bei, Yang, Li-Ming, Hao, Li-Peng, Yang, Chen, Quan, Lei, Wang, Li-Hong, Wu, Zheng, Li, Xiao-Pan, Gao, Yu-Tang, Sun, Qiao, Yuan, Jian-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 15-04-2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Analysis; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Cancer; Cancer patients; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Chemotherapy; China; Chinese medicine; Demographic variables; Demographics; Demography; Female; Friends; Health risk assessment; Humans; Insurance; Insurance, Health; Mastectomy; Medical diagnosis; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Patients; People and Places; Physicians; Quality of Life; Regression analysis; Regression models; Social aspects; Social Class; Social factors; Social interactions; Social Sciences; Social Support; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survivors - psychology; Traditional Chinese medicine; China; United States; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; United States > US; Pennsylvania
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153714

To evaluate the association of social support status, health insurance and clinical factors with the quality of life of Chinese women with breast cancer.
Information on demographics, clinical characteristics, and social support status was collected from 1,160 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in Shanghai, China. The Perceived Social Support Scale was used to assess different sources of social support for breast cancer patients. The quality of life was evaluated using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer that consisted of five domains: breast cancer-specific, emotional, functional, physical, and social & family well-being. Multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate the associations of demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and social support status with the quality of life measures.
Adequate social support from family members, friends and neighbors, and higher scores of Perceived Social Support Scale were associated with significantly improved quality of life of breast cancer patients. Higher household income, medical insurance plans with low copayment, and treatment with traditional Chinese medicine for breast cancer all were associated with higher (better) scores of quality of life measures whereas patients receiving chemotherapy had significantly lower scores of quality of life.
Social support and financial aids may significantly improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.