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Cited by 215Cancer survivorship and careWomen's cancer prevention and managementPalliative and Oncologic Care

Mapping the quality of life and unmet needs of urban women with metastatic breast cancer

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ARANDA, S., SCHOFIELD, P., WEIH, L., YATES, P., MILNE, D., FAULKNER, R., VOUDOURIS, N.·2005·European Journal of Cancer Care
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2354.2005.00541.x
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Abstract

Enhancing quality of life and reducing the unmet needs of women are central to the successful management of advanced breast cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the quality of life and support and information needs of urban women with advanced breast cancer. This study was conducted at four large urban hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. A consecutive sample of 105 women with advanced breast cancer completed a questionnaire that contained the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Q-C30 and the Supportive Care Needs Survey. Between one quarter and a third of the women reported difficulties with their physical, role and social functioning, and a little over a quarter of the women reported poor global health status. Fatigue was a problem for most women. The highest unmet needs were in the psychological and health information domains. Almost no differences in unmet needs were detected when comparing different demographic and disease characteristics of women. Health care providers should routinely monitor the quality of life and needs of women with advanced breast cancer to ensure that appropriate treatment, information or supportive services are made available.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1365-2354.2005.00541.x

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  • The most prevalent, persistent, and disabling symptoms in MBC patients include pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety.

    “The most prevalent, persistent, and disabling symptoms in MBC patients include pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety [2,9–12].”

    From Acceptance and commitment therapy for symptom interference in metastatic breast cancer patients: a pilot randomized trial (2018) · cites this paper as [2]

    The Description of the sample and Discussion (page numbers unavailable) report substantial fatigue and difficulties with pain and insomnia among women with advanced breast cancer. The Introduction also discusses psychological distress, but the paper does not identify depression and anxiety specifically as prevalent symptoms or establish that the listed symptoms are persistent and disabling. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Despite commonly used pharmacologic symptom management, metastatic breast cancer patients have high symptom burden that is a major source of suffering, impairment, and disability.

    “Despite commonly used pharmacologic approaches to symptom management, MBC patients have high symptom burden that is a major source of suffering, impairment, and disability [2–4, 6].”

    From Symptom experiences in metastatic breast cancer patients: relationships to activity engagement, value-based living, and psychological inflexibility (2017) · cites this paper as [6]

    The Description of the sample reports substantial fatigue, pain and insomnia among the women studied, alongside poorer physical, role and social functioning in a sizeable minority. The Discussion says pain and insomnia remained problems for some women despite being potentially manageable with medication. The paper does not establish that pharmacologic symptom treatments were commonly used in this sample or that symptoms were a major cause of suffering, impairment and disability. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Common symptoms in metastatic breast cancer patients include depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, pain, and fatigue.

    “Common symptoms in this population include depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, pain, and fatigue [6–10].”

    From Symptom experiences in metastatic breast cancer patients: relationships to activity engagement, value-based living, and psychological inflexibility (2017) · cites this paper as [6]

    The Description of the sample reports fatigue (63%), pain (30%) and insomnia (26%) among women with advanced breast cancer. The Introduction also discusses psychological distress, but the paper does not identify depression and anxiety specifically as common symptoms in this sample. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Other common symptoms among cancer patients, such as nausea, neuropathy, swelling of arms and legs, hot flashes, and cognitive problems, have received less attention in the metastatic breast cancer literature.

    “Other common symptoms among cancer patients (e.g., nausea, neuropathy, swelling of arms and legs, hot flashes, cognitive problems) have received less attention in the MBC literature [6, 12–14].”

    From Symptom experiences in metastatic breast cancer patients: relationships to activity engagement, value-based living, and psychological inflexibility (2017) · cites this paper as [6]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) describes people with metastatic disease as under-researched in quality-of-life research. The paper records nausea and cognitive functioning in its sample, but does not say that the listed symptoms have received less attention than other symptoms in the metastatic breast cancer literature. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Fatigue interference with activities, mood, and cognition is a highly prevalent and distressing problem for patients with metastatic breast cancer.

    “Fatigue interference with activities, mood, and cognition is one of the most prevalent and distressing concerns of metastatic breast cancer patients.”

    From Protocol of a randomized trial of acceptance and commitment therapy for fatigue interference in metastatic breast cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [2]

    The Description of the sample reports that 63% of women had elevated fatigue symptoms, supporting the claim that fatigue was highly prevalent. The paper reports physical, emotional and cognitive functioning separately, but does not establish that fatigue interfered with activities, mood or cognition, or rank that interference among the most distressing concerns. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Authors
ARANDA, S., SCHOFIELD, P., WEIH, L., YATES, P., MILNE, D., FAULKNER, R., & VOUDOURIS, N.
Affiliations
  • Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (AU)
  • Queensland University of Technology (AU)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
  • La Trobe University (AU)
Corresponding author
ARANDA, S.
ORCID
Venue
European Journal of Cancer Care
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2005-07
Volume
14
Issue
3
Pages
211-222
ISSN
  • 0961-5423 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2354
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2354.2005.00541.x
OpenAlex
W1536833105
Cited by
215
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 11
FWCI
3.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 3714 d)
Locations
  • European Journal of Cancer Care (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Faculty of Health; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation
Funders
  • Medical Research Council
  • National Health and Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Women's cancer prevention and management
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
Keywords
metastatic breast cancer, quality of life, unmet needs, urban women, supportive care needs, health information needs, psychological needs, fatigue, physical function, social functioning, role functioning, global health status, EORTC QLQ-C30, Supportive Care Needs Survey
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Breast Neoplasms, Female, Health Services Needs and Demand, Health Status, Humans, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Metastasis, Patient Education as Topic, Pilot Projects, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Support, Urban Health, Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast, Needs Assessment

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