Long-term health-related quality of life of breast cancer survivors remains impaired compared to the age-matched general population especially in young women. Results from the prospective controlled BREX exercise study
Eija Roine,
Harri Sintonen,
Pirkko-Liisa Kellokumpu-Lehtinen,
Heidi Penttinen,
Meri Utriainen,
Leena Vehmanen,
Riikka Huovinen,
Hannu Kautiainen,
Riku Nikander,
Carl Blomqvist,
Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist,
Tiina Saarto
Affiliations
Eija Roine
Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, Finland; Corresponding author. Comprehensive Cancer Center Helsinki University Hospital, P.O.Box 180 00029, HUS, Finland.
Harri Sintonen
University of Helsinki, Department of Public Health, Helsinki, Finland
Pirkko-Liisa Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Technology, and Tampere University Hospital, Cancer Center, Center of Research, Development and Innovation, Tampere, Finland
Heidi Penttinen
Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
Meri Utriainen
Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
Leena Vehmanen
Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
Riikka Huovinen
Turku University Hospital, Department of Oncology, and University of Turku, Faculty of Medicine, Turku, Finland
Hannu Kautiainen
Kuopio University Hospital, Primary Health Care Unit, Kuopio, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
Riku Nikander
University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, GeroCenter Foundation for Aging Research & Development, and Central Finland Hospital District, Department of Research & Education, Jyväskylä, Finland
Carl Blomqvist
Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, Finland; Örebro University Hospital, Department of Oncology, Örebro, Sweden
Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist
Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
Tiina Saarto
Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
Objective: To investigate long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes over time in younger compared to older disease-free breast cancer survivors who participated in a prospective randomized exercise trial. Methods: Survivors (aged 35–68 years) were randomized to a 12-month exercise trial after adjuvant treatment and followed up for ten years. HRQoL was assessed with the generic 15D instrument during follow-up and the younger (baseline age ≤ 50) and older (age >50) survivors’ HRQoL was compared to that of the age-matched general female population (n = 892). The analysis included 342 survivors. Results: The decline of HRQoL compared to the population was steeper and recovery slower in the younger survivors (p for interaction < 0.001). The impairment was also larger among the younger survivors (p = 0.027) whose mean HRQoL deteriorated for three years after treatment and started to slowly improve thereafter but still remained below the population level after ten years (difference −0.017, 95% CI: −0.031 to −0.004). The older survivors’ mean HRQoL gradually approached the population level during the first five years but also remained below it at ten years (difference −0.019, 95% CI: −0.031 to −0.007). The largest differences were on the dimensions of sleeping and sexual activity, on which both age groups remained below the population level throughout the follow-up. Conclusions: HRQoL developed differently in younger and older survivors both regarding the most affected dimensions of HRQoL and the timing of the changes during follow-up. HRQoL of both age groups remained below the population level even ten years after treatment.
