Table 8 A list of studies on systemic therapies and quality of life in breast cancer patients (1974–2007)
Author(s) [Ref.] | Year | Treatment/patients | Conclusion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
Moore et al. [36] | 1974 | Adrenalectomy + chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer | In most patients the subjective palliation involved a return to normal living. |
Priestman and Baum [37] | 1976 | Chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer | Toxicity is not related to the patients' age and diminished with successive courses of drugs. |
Palmer et al. [114] | 1980 | A single agent vs. five drug combination in node positive primary breast cancer | Better QOL in single agent group. |
Coates et al. [115] | 1987 | Intermittent vs. continuous chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer | Continuous chemotherapy was better; changes in the QOL were independent prognostic factor of survival. |
Kiebert et al. [116] | 1990 | Peri-operative chemotherapy vs. no chemotherapy in early stage breast cancer | No differences 1 year after; patients considered chemotherapy most burdensome aspect of treatment. |
Gelber et al. [117] | 1991 | Single cycle of combination chemotherapy vs. longer duration chemotherapy for pre-menopausal or chemo-endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women | Better QOL in longer duration chemotherapy or chemo-endocrine therapy. |
Berglund et al. [118] | 1991 | Late effects of adjuvant chemotherapy vs. postoperative radiotherapy in pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer | Chemotherapy patients had higher overall QOL. |
Richards et al. [119] | 1992 | A (weekly for 12 courses vs. every three weeks for 4 courses) in advanced breast cancer | Similar survival but higher psychological distress in the three weeks group. |
Hurny et al. [120] | 1992 | CMF (6 cycles vs. 3 cycles) in operable breast cancer | QOL improved with increasing time from the study entry. |
Campora et al. [121] | 1992 | Adjuvant chemotherapy vs. palliative chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer | No significant difference between groups. |
Fraser et al. [122] | 1993 | CMF vs. E in advanced breast cancer | Similar survival and no significant difference in overall global QOL. |
Twelves et al. [123] | 1994 | Iododoxorubicin in advanced breast cancer | Little evidence of benefit in terms of physical symptom relief, level of activity, psychological symptoms or global QOL. |
Bertsch and Donaldson. [124] | 1995 | Vinorelbine vs. melphalan | Vinorelbine was better in some aspects of QOL. |
Swain et al. [125] | 1996 | AC + G-CSF in node positive breast cancer | Tolerable physical symptoms and emotional distress. |
McQuellon et al. [126] | 1996 | High-dose chemotherapy + ABMT | No significant difference between pre- and post-treatment QOL. |
Larsen et al. [127] | 1996 | High-dose chemotherapy + ASCT | Resulting in poor physical and emotional health. |
Hurny et al. [128] | 1996 | 6 cycles of CMF vs. 3 cycles CMF in node-positive operable breast cancer | Worse QOL during treatment but not after treatment completion. |
Griffiths and Beaver [129] | 1997 | High-dose chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer | No significant deterioration in QOL. |
Lindley et al. [130] | 1998 | Systemic adjuvant therapy | 2–5 years after treatment good QOL. Small to modest gain was acceptable to women. |
Ganz et al. [131] | 1998 | TAM or chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy + TAM, or no adjuvant therapy | No significant differences in global QOL among treatment groups; those who received chemotherapy had more sexual problems and those who received TAM had more vasomotor symptoms. |
Bernhard et al. [132] | 1999 | Formestane vs. megestrol acetate in postmenopausal advanced breast cancer while on TAM | No significant difference in QOL; baseline QOL was strong predictive for QOL under treatment but not for time to treatment failure. |
Fairclough et al. [133] | 1999 | CAF vs. dose intensive a 16-week multi-drug regimen | Negative impact of the dose intensive 16-week regimen was observed, although Q-TwiST analysis showed a small gain for this regimen. |
Osoba and Burchmore [134] | 1999 | Trastuzumab (Hercptin) in metastatic breast cancer who may or may not have had prior chemotherapy | Trastuzumab was associated with an amelioration of the deleterious effects of chemotherapy alone; the drug was not associated with worsening of QOL. |
McLachlan et al. [135] | 1999 | Chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer | QOL maintained or improved; patients did not want to trade quantity for QOL. |
Macquart-Moulin et al. [136] | 2000 | High-dose chemotherapy + G-CSF + ASCT in inflammatory breast cancer | QOL deterioration disappeared after treatment and returned to baseline after one year. |
Riccardi et al. [137] | 2000 | Doubling E within FEC vs. FEC in metastatic breast cancer | No significant difference in response or improvement of baseline QOL. |
2000 | Paclitaxel vs. A in advanced breast cancer | QOL appeared to be prognostic for survival and response to treatment. | |
Joly et al. [140] | 2000 | CMF + irradiation vs. irradiation in pre-menopausal breast cancer | Similar QOL was observed. |
Hakamies-Blomqvist et al. [141] | 2000 | T vs. sequential MF in metastatic breast cancer | Difference in QOL was minor favoring MF. |
Broeckel et al. [142] | 2000 | Adjuvant chemotherapy treated breast cancer (after 3 to 36 months) | Younger age, unmarried status, time since diagnosis and chemotherapy completion related to greeter depressive symptoms. |
Carlson et al. [143] | 2001 | High-dose chemotherapy + ASCT in metastatic breast cancer | Anxiety and depression continued to increase, loss of sexual interest, worrying and joint pain were reported. |
Osoba et al. [144] | 2002 | Chemotherapy + Trastuzumab (Hercptin) vs. Chemotherapy alone in metastatic breast cancer | More improved global QOL with chemotherapy + Herceptin. |
Modi et al. [145] | 2002 | Paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer | QOL benefit in tumor response patients. |
Heidemann et al [146]. | 2002 | Mitoxantrone vs. FEC in metastatic breast cancer | No significant difference in survival or response but a QOL scores favored mitoxantrone. |
Genre et al. [147] | 2002 | High-dose-intensity AC (21 vs. 14 days) | Shortening cycles had a high negative impact on QOL. |
de Haes et al. [148] | 2003 | Goserelin vs. CMF in peri-and pre-menopausal node-positive early breast cancer | Better QOL in favor of goserelin. |
Brandberg et al. [149] | 2003 | Tailored FEC vs. induction FEC followed with high-dose CTCb + peripheral SCT | No significant overall differences were found between groups. |
Land et al. [150] | 2004 | CMF vs. AC in axillary node negative and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer | Overall QOL was equivalent between two groups. |
Fallowfield et al. [151] | 2004 | ANA vs. TAM alone or in combination in postmenopausal early breast cancer | Similar overall QOL impact but some small differences in side effects profiles. |
Bottomely et al. [152] | 2004 | AT vs. AC in metastatic breast cancer | No significant differences in QOL between two groups. |
Bernhard et al. [153] | 2004 | TAM for 5 years or three prior cycles of CMF followed by 57 months TAM in estrogen receptor-negative and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer | At completion there were no differences by treatment groups. |
Tong et al. [154] | 2005 | Capecitabine, idarubicin and cyclophosphamide (all-oral regimen, XIC) in metastatic breast cancer | No significant decease in global QOL scores. |
Galalae et al. [155] | 2005 | Radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy vs. radiotherapy and hormonal therapy vs. radiotherapy alone after conserving surgery | Adjuvant chemotherapy lowered QOL vs. hormones or radiotherapy alone. |
Elkin et al. [156] | 2005 | Ovarian suppression vs. chemotherapy in pre-menopausal hormone-responsive breast cancer | Assuming equal efficacy ovarian suppression was superior. Efficacy would have impact on treatment choice. |
Conner-Spady et al. [157] | 2005 | High-dose chemotherapy + ABST in breast cancer with poor prognosis | Impaired QOL in short term but improved after 2 years. |
Bottomley et al. [158] | 2005 | Dose-intensives chemotherapy (CE + filgrastim) vs. CEF in locally advanced breast cancer | Groups did not differ in progression free survival; lower QOL in intensified group at short term but no difference at long term. |
Ahles et al. [159] | 2005 | Standard-dose systemic chemotherapy vs. local therapy only in long-term breast cancer survivors | Lower overall QOL in chemotherapy group. |
Peppercorn et al. [160] | 2005 | High-dose chemotherapy + ABMT vs. intermediate-dose chemotherapy in patients with stage II and III breast cancer | Patients who received more intensive therapy experienced transient declines in QOL; by 12 months after, QOL was comparable between the 2 arms, regardless of therapy intensity, and many QOL areas were improved from baseline. |
Semiglazov et al. [161] | 2006 | CMF + mistletoe lectin (PS76A2) vs. CMF + placebo | PS76A2 improved QOL during and after chemotherapy. |
Martin et al. [162] | 2006 | FAC vs. TAC or TAC + G-CSF in node negative breast cancer | Lower QOL in patients treated with TAC. Addition of G-CSF improves QOL. |
Hurria et al. [163] | 2006 | Anthracyclin-based chemotherapy or CMF in older women with breast cancer | QOL maintained in both group. |
Fallowfield et al. [164] | 2006 | EXE vs. TAM after 2–3 years of TAM in postmenopausal primary breast cancer | Temporary decrease in overall QOL for EXE but no other differences. |
Groenvold et al. [165] | 2006 | CMF vs. ovarian ablation | CMF had more negative impact on QOL. |
Cella et al. [166] | 2006 | ANA vs. TAM alone or in combination in postmenopausal breast cancer | ANA and TAM had similar impact on QOL. |
Liu et al. [167] | 2006 | DPPE + A vs. A in patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer | Patients on A alone had fewer disease and treatment adverse events and better QOL. |
Karamouzis et al. [168] | 2007 | Chemotherapy vs. supportive care in metastatic patients | QOL was better in patients receiving chemotherapy than those under supportive care. |
Hopwood et al. [169] | 2007 | Adjuvant radiotherapy | QOL and mental health were favorable for most patients about to start radiotherapy but younger age and receiving chemotherapy were significant risk factors for poorer QOL. |