Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The impact of cancer and quality of life among long-term survivors of breast cancer in Austria

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the relationship between the perceived impact of cancer among long-term breast cancer survivors, sociodemographic and clinical variables, and mental and physical health-related quality of life outcomes in Austria.

Methods

One hundred and fifty-two long-term survivors of breast cancer (on average 13 years after initial diagnosis) completed three mailed surveys, including the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Impact of Cancer (version 2) to assess the perceived positive and negative aspects of cancer survivorship, and a general sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire. Linear regression models were constructed to determine the effects of the perceived positive and negative impact of cancer on mental and physical health-related quality of life.

Results

Respondents reported a physical health status that centered on population norms for Austria, but scored lower on mental health status. After controlling for age, chemotherapy, exercise, and BMI, the positive impact of cancer was associated with improved physical functioning (p = 0.0014) and the negative impact of cancer was associated with poorer physical functioning (p < 0.0001). After controlling for age, marital status, the belief in emotional distress as a cause of cancer, and high stress levels, the negative impact of cancer was associated with poorer mental functioning (p < 0.0001). Higher perceived positive impact of cancer was not associated with improved mental functioning.

Conclusions

Long-term survivors of breast cancer in Austria perceive both positive and negative impacts of breast cancer. These perceptions, in particular the negative impact of cancer, appear to influence, or are potentially influenced by, physical and mental health-related quality of life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ferlay J, Steliarova-Foucher E, Lortet-Tieulent J, Rosso S, Coebergh JWW, Comber H, Forman D, Bray F (2013) Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in Europe: estimates for 40 countries in 2012. Eur J Cancer 49(6):1374–1403

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Zielonke N, Hackl M, Baldaszti E (2014) Krebsinzidenz und Krebsmortalität in Österreich [cancer incidence and mortality in Austria]. Mdh-Media, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kantsiper M, McDonald EL, Geller G, Shockney L, Snyder C, Wolff AC (2009) Transitioning to breast cancer survivorship: perspectives of patients, cancer specialists, and primary care providers. J Gen Intern Med 24(S2):459–466

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Rowland JH, Kent EE, Forsythe LP, Håvard Loge J, Hjorth L, Glaser A, Mattioli V, Fossa SD (2013) Cancer survivorship research in Europe and the United States: where have We been, where are We going, and what can We learn from each other? Cancer 119(S11):2094–2108

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Twombly R (2004) What’s in a name: who is a cancer survivor? J Natl Cancer Inst 96(19):1414–1415

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Aziz NM (2007) Cancer survivorship research: state of knowledge, challenges and opportunities. Acta Oncol 46:417–432

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Zebrack BJ, Yi J, Petersen L, Ganz PA (2008) The impact of cancer and quality of life for long-term survivors. Psychooncology 17:891–900

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mols F, Vingerhoets AJJM, Coebergh JW, van de Poll-Franse LV (2005) Quality of life among long-term breast cancer survivors: a systematic review. Eur J Cancer 41(17):2613–2619

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Ganz PA, Desmond KA, Leedham B, Rowland JH, Meyerowitz BE, Belin TR (2002) Quality of life in long-term, disease-free survivors of breast cancer: a follow-up study. J Natl Cancer Inst 94(1):39–49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ganz PA, Greendale GA, Petersen L, Kahn B, Bower JE (2003) Breast cancer in younger women: reproductive and late health effects of treatment. J Clin Oncol 21(22):4184–4193

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Helgeson VS, Tomich PL (2005) Surviving cancer: a comparison of 5-year disease-free breast cancer survivors with healthy women. Psychooncology 14(4):307–317

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Crespi CM, Ganz PA, Petersen L, Castillo A, Caan B (2008) Refinement and psychometric evaluation of the impact of cancer scale. J Natl Cancer Inst 100(21):1530–1541

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Gotay CC, Muraoka MY (1998) Quality of life in long-term survivors of adult-onset cancers. J Natl Cancer Inst 90(9):656–667

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Culver JL, Arena PL, Antoni MH, Carver CS (2002) Coping and distress among women under treatment for early stage breast cancer: comparing African Americans, Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. Psychooncology 11(6):495–504

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Carver CS, Antoni MH (2004) Finding benefit in breast cancer during the year after diagnosis predicts better adjustment 5 to 8 years after diagnosis. Health Psychol 23(6):595–598

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Coreil J, Corvin JA, Nupp R, Dyer K, Noble C (2012) Ethnicity and cultural models of recovery from breast cancer. Ethn Health 17(3):291–307

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Zebrack BJ, Ganz PA, Bernaards CA, Petersen L, Abraham L (2006) Assessing the impact of cancer: development of a new instrument for long-term survivors. Psychooncology 15:407–421

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Grunfeld E, Julian JA, Pond G, Maunsell E, Coyle D, Folkes A, Joy AA, Provencher L, Rayson D, Rheaume DE, Porter GA, Paszat LF, Pritchard KO, Robidoux A, Smith A, Sussman J, Dent S, Sisler J, Wiernikowski J, Levine MN (2011) Evaluating survivorship care plans: results of a randomized, clinical trial of patients with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 29(36):4755–4762

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Ganz PA, Hahn EE (2008) Implementing a survivorship care plan for patients with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 26(5):759–767

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bloom JR, Stewart SL, Johnston M, Banks P, Fobair P (2001) Sources of support and the physical and mental well-being of young women with breast cancer. Soc Sci Med 53(11):1513–1524

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ashing-Giwa KT, Padilla GV, Tejero JS, Kim J (2004) Breast cancer survivorship in a multiethnic sample. Cancer 101(3):450–465

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Park SY, Duk-Soo B, Joo HN, Park CT, Cho C-H, Jong ML, Myung KL, Kim SH, Park SM, Yun YH (2007) Quality of life and sexual problems in disease-free survivors of cervical cancer compared with the general population. Cancer 110(12):2716–2725

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Ashing-Giwa KT, Lim J-W (2009) Examining the impact of socioeconomic status and Socioecologic stress on physical and mental health quality of life among breast cancer survivors. Oncol Nurs Forum 36(1):79–88

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Deimling GT, Bowman KF, Wagner LJ (2007) The effects of cancer-related pain and fatigue on functioning of older adult, long-term cancer survivors. Cancer Nurs 30(6):421–433

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Kapfhammer H-P (2015) Psychoonkolige: Zwischen Anspruch und Realität. Nervenarzt 86:255–257

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Bouskill K (2015) The globalization of the breast cancer Awarenesss campaign in Austria, 2012–2014. Emory University, Atlanta, GA

    Google Scholar 

  27. Hays RD, Sherbourne CD, Mazel RM (1993) The rand 36-item health survey 1.0. Health Econ 2(3):217–227

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Bullinger M (1995) German translation and psychometric testing of the SF-36 health survey: preliminary results from the IQOLA project. International quality of life assessment. Soc Sci Med 41(10):1359–1366

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Gruber G, Zacherl M, Giessauf C, Glehr M, Fuerst F, Liebmann W, Gruber K, Bernhardt GA (2010) Quality of life after volar plate fixation of articular fractures of the distal part of the radius. J Bone Joint Surg 92:1170–1178

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Muzzatti B, Flaiban C, Romito F, Cormio C (2013) The impact of cancer scale (IOC) in Italian long-term cancer survivors: adaptation and psychometric evaluation. Support Care Cancer 21:3355–3362

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Dahl AA, Gudbergsson SB, Dørum A, Fosså SD, Liavaag AH, Sørebø Ø (2012) “The impact of cancer scale” version 1: psychometric testing of the Norweigian translation in a heterogeneous sample of cancer survivors. Qual Life Res 21:1459–1470

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Gudbergsson SB, Fosså SD, Ganz PA, Zebrack BJ, Dahl AA (2007) The association between living conditions, demography, and the ‘impact of cancer’ scale in tumor-free cancer survivors: a NOCWO study. Support Care Cancer 15:1309–1318

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Nesvold I-L, Reinersten KV, Fosså SD, Dahl AA (2011) The relationship between arm/shoulder problems and quality of life in breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. J Cancer Surviv 5:62–72

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Korszun A, Sarker S-J, Chowdhury K, Clark C, Greaves P, Johnson R, Kingston J, Levitt G, Matthews J, White P, Lister A, Gribben J (2014) Psychosocial factors associated with impact of cancer in longterm haematological cancer survivors. Br J Haematol 164(6):790–803

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Blanchin M, Dauchy S, Cano A, Brédart A, Aaronson NK, Hardouin J-B (2015) Validation of the French translation-adaptation of the impact of cancer questionnaire version 2 (IOCv2) in a breast cancer survivor population. Health Qual Life Outcomes 13:110

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Oerlemans S, Smith SK, Crespi CM, Zimmerman S, van der Poll-Franse LV, Ganz PA (2012) Assessing the impact of cancer among Dutch non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors compared with their American counterparts: a cross-national study. Psychooncology 22:1258–1265

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Duijts SFA, Zeegers MPA, Borne BV (2003) The association between stressful life events and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Int J Cancer 107(6):1023–1029

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Garssen B (2004) Psychological factors and cancer development: evidence after 30 years of research. Clin Psychol Rev 24(3):315–338

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Kagawa-Singer M, Padilla GV, Ashing-Giwa K (2010) Health-related quality of life and culture. Semin Oncol Nurs 26(1):59–67

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Gordon D, Venturini A, Rosselli del Turco M, Palli D, Paci E (1991) What healthy women think, feel and do about cancer, prevention and breast cancer screening in Italy. Eur J Cancer 27(7):913–917

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Badger TA, Braden CJ, Mishel MH, Longman A (2004) Depression burden, psychological adjustment, and quality of life in women with breast cancer: patterns over time. Res Nurs Health 27(1):19–28

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Mishel MH, Germino BB, Gil KM, Belyea M, LaNey IC, Stewart J, Porter L, Clayton M (2005) Benefits from an uncertainty management intervention for African–American and Caucasian older long-term breast cancer survivors. Psychooncology 14(11):962–978

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Natalija Frank, MPH for her efforts in study participant recruitment.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA

    Kathryn Bouskill

  2. Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Claudia Nance Rollins Building, 1518 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Michael Kramer

Authors
  1. Kathryn Bouskill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Kramer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathryn Bouskill.

Ethics declarations

Sponsor

Europa Donna—The European Breast Cancer Coalition in Austria supplied €350 for postage fees associated with this research.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bouskill, K., Kramer, M. The impact of cancer and quality of life among long-term survivors of breast cancer in Austria. Support Care Cancer 24, 4705–4712 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3319-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3319-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation