Cancer radiotherapie : journal de la Societe francaise de radiotherapie oncologique | 2021
Psychological and physical impact in women treated for breast cancer: Need for multidisciplinary surveillance and care provision.
Abstract
PURPOSE\nCancer survivors often experience adverse physical and psychosocial effects. Fear of recurrence is a difficulty very commonly reported in post-cancer life. The primary objective of this study was to describe post-cancer supportive care needs in patients treated for breast cancer.\n\n\nPATIENTS AND METHODS\nIn this monocentric observational study, cancer survivors agedā„18years, diagnosed with breast cancer and treated in 2017 (cohort A) and in 2015 (cohort B) were administered a post-cancer needs questionnaire, and the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (severity subscale).\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe study included 139 patients. Pain (51.9%), fatigue (51.9%), weight gain during treatment (35.1%), psychological difficulties (20.5%), and difficulties in marriage and sexual life (13.1%) were the complaints in the post-cancer period. There were no differences between the two cohorts. The severity subscale of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory showed 35.8% patients with a score>13. The fear of recurrence was a source of social difficulties, psychological disorders, and difficulties in marriage and sexual life.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nNot only FCR, but also issues such as fatigue, pain, psychological difficulties, and difficulties in marriage and sexual life all call for a psycho-oncological follow-up. Clinical and radio-senological surveillance is essential, but it absolutely must be accompanied by a multidisciplinary follow-up, with central importance to psychological care.