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Physical Problems May Linger After Breast Cancer Treatment
Sexual Problems, Aches and Pains, Trouble Concentrating Predominate
Article date: 2004/03/16

A new study of women with breast cancer finds that many are left with physical problems after their treatment is over. Even so, most women report normal emotional function after treatment, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Vol. 96, No. 5: 376-387).

Most doctors prepare women for the immediate effects of cancer treatment like nausea, hair loss and fatigue, said lead author Patricia Ganz, MD, of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. But little is known about what happens after treatment, during "the time when women must move beyond cancer to reestablish their normal life patterns," she added.

To learn what women really feel like when their treatment for breast cancer is over, Ganz and her colleagues surveyed 558 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Within 4 weeks of completing treatment, the women were given questionnaires that asked about their physical and emotional state as well as their sexual functioning.

The good news was that for most women, emotional function was normal. But many experienced physical problems, which differed depending on the type of treatment they had received.

Mastectomy, Chemotherapy Cause More Symptoms

Women who had mastectomies (about one-third of the women surveyed) had a clear drop in their physical functioning compared to those who had lumpectomies. Their main problems seemed to be pain, decreased arm motion, and trouble performing everyday tasks.

Ganz said her finding was surprising, since many previous studies have not shown a substantial difference in how women fare after these two treatments.

She said women who have breast-conserving surgery may have fewer problems because their cancers are usually smaller, and they're less likely to need removal of the lymph nodes under their arms, a procedure that can cause painful swelling and limit range of motion.

Regardless of what type of surgery they had, women who also received chemotherapy (about half the study participants) also reported more problems, particularly with sexual function. These women were more likely to report low interest in sex and less enjoyment.

Sexual troubles were not related to concern about appearance, although a majority of women said they were unhappy with their looks after treatment. Rather, the physical effects of treatment, such as early menopause in premenopausal women and poor vaginal lubrication, seemed to be behind the bedroom woes.

Looking for Ways to Cope

Ganz and her colleagues discovered other problems that affected a majority of women, regardless of what kind of treatment they'd had. More than half of the women studied suffered from hot flashes, breast sensitivity, joint pains, stiffness, other aches and pains, and difficulty concentrating. Of these complaints, achiness and difficulty concentrating seemed to be the most distressing.

The researchers weren't certain what caused the aches and pains but said doctors need to provide better pain relief to patients.

Difficulty concentrating has been seen in patients receiving chemotherapy in past studies and might, in part, be due to that treatment. But undetected depression or concern about their cancer might also have been factors, because some of the women who complained of this hadn't received chemotherapy. Because the women in the study tended to be well educated, the researchers thought that their trouble concentrating may have been particularly distressing.

By learning what symptoms women commonly face after completing breast cancer treatment, Ganz and her colleagues hope to be able to help women cope with the experience. They are continuing their study to see which types of programs are most effective at informing women of what to expect and giving them strategies to deal with their symptoms.


ACS News Center stories are provided as a source of cancer-related news and are not intended to be used as press releases.
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