Do Patient-Reported Upper-Body Symptoms Predict Breast Cancer-Related Lymphoedema: Results from a Population-Based, Longitudinal Breast Cancer Cohort Study

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Hayes, Sandra C
Dunn, Matthew
Plinsinga, Melanie L
Reul-Hirche, Hildegard
Ren, Yumeng
Laakso, E-Liisa
Troester, Melissa A
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2022
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Abstract

The objectives of this work were to (i) describe upper-body symptoms post-breast cancer; (ii) explore the relationship between symptoms and upper-body function, breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL), physical activity levels, and quality of life; and (iii) determine whether the presence of upper-body symptoms predicts BCRL. Nine symptoms, upper-body function, lymphoedema, physical activity, and quality of life were assessed in women with invasive breast cancer at baseline (2- to 9-months post-diagnosis; n = 2442), and at 2- and 7-years post-diagnosis. Mann-Whitney tests, unpaired t-tests, and chi-squared analyses were used to assess cross-sectional relationships, while regression analyses were used to assess the predictive relationships between symptoms at baseline, and BCRL at 2- and 7-years post-diagnosis. Symptoms are common post-breast cancer and persist at 2- and 7-years post-diagnosis. Approximately two in three women, and one in three women, reported >2 symptoms of at least mild severity, and of at least moderate severity, respectively. The presence of symptoms is associated with poorer upper-body function, and lower physical activity levels and quality of life. One or more symptoms of at least moderate severity increases the odds of developing BCRL by 2- and 7-years post-diagnosis (p < 0.05). Consequently, improved monitoring and management of symptoms following breast cancer have the potential to improve health outcomes.

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Cancers

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14

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23

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© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Oncology and carcinogenesis

breast cancer

cohort study

lymphoedema

symptoms

upper-body function

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Hayes, SC; Dunn, M; Plinsinga, ML; Reul-Hirche, H; Ren, Y; Laakso, E-L; Troester, MA, Do Patient-Reported Upper-Body Symptoms Predict Breast Cancer-Related Lymphoedema: Results from a Population-Based, Longitudinal Breast Cancer Cohort Study., Cancers, 2022, 14 (23), pp. 5998

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