Abstract
Background: Several studies have established a positive relationship between quality of life (QOL) and prognosis in patients with various cancer types. This study investigated QOL of elderly patients with primary hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who chose endocrine therapy as their first-line treatment. Patients and Methods: QOL-ACD-B scores were evaluated before and after endocrine therapy for 75 patients. The results of the interviews were used to determine the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Results: In a univariate analysis, baseline objective response rate (p=0.009), and increase in QOL (p=0.037) significantly correlated with longer progression-free survival time. There was a correlation between 3-month QOL score and longer overall survival in the multivariate analysis (p=0.035). Conclusion: In elderly patients with breast cancer who underwent first-line endocrine therapy, improved QOL at 3 months after treatment initiation correlated with prolonged progression-free survival. High QOL scores were associated with prolonged overall survival.
Footnotes
Authors' Contributions
All Authors were involved in the preparation of this article. KoT collected the data, and wrote the article. SK, YA, WG and TT performed the operation and designed the study. KoT, KaT, MS and RA summarized the data, performed statistical analysis, and revised the article. TT, KH and MO substantial contribution to the study design, performed surgery, and revised the article. All Authors read and approved the final article.
Conflicts of Interest
All Authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose in regard to this study.
Sources of support: This study was funded by grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI, Nos. 19K18067, 26461957, and 17K10559) to Shinichiro Kashiwagi.
- Received May 2, 2019.
- Revision received May 16, 2019.
- Accepted May 17, 2019.
- Copyright© 2019, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved