Assessment of health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at a tertiary care center in India

Introduction In India, breast cancer patients frequently report poor Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) during treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to assess HRQoL in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) Questionnaire. Methods This prospective observational study included breast cancer patients aged 18 and older who had received at least three cycles of chemotherapy. HRQoL was assessed using the FACT-B questionnaire at the third (C3), sixth (C6), and ninth (C9) cycles of chemotherapy. The Friedman test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to evaluate differences in scores across cycles and to compare distribution between patient groups. Results Of the 64 patients admitted during the study period, 58 met the inclusion criteria. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 54.6 (11.2) years. Across cycles, there was significant improvement in physical well-being (PWB; p < 0.001 ), emotional well-being (EWB; p < 0.001 ), functional well-being (FWB; p < 0.001 ), and the breast cancer subscale (BCS; p = 0.003 ). The FACT-B Trial Outcome Index (TOI), FACT-General (G) Total, and FACT-B Total scores increased significantly over time ( p < 0.001 ). Patients under 50 years had significantly higher PWB ( p = 0.018 ) and FWB ( p < 0.001 ) scores than those 50 years and older. Metastatic status also showed significant association with EWB ( p = 0.004 ) and BCS ( p = 0.007 ). Conclusion A multitude of factors, including treatment-related dynamics and patient demographics, influenced the QoL in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The findings suggest targeted interventions may optimize patient well-being during treatment.