Prevalence of chemotherapy-induced anemia and its impact on quality of life in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA) is a frequent condition among breast cancer patients who are treated with systemic chemotherapy, and is linked to fatigue, decreased functional capacity, and poor quality of life.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of chemotherapy-induced anaemia and evaluate its impact on the quality of life of breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed at the Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, from January 2024 to April 2025. The trial included 100 female patients with histopathologically confirmed breast cancer who had received a minimum of three treatment cycles. Anaemia was determined using World Health Organization guidelines (Hb<12 g/dL), and haemoglobin was assessed using an automated haematology analyser. The quality of life was evaluated via the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. The data were examined with SPSS version 27.0.

RESULTS

The average age of participants was 50.7 ± 10.8 years. Anaemia produced by chemotherapy was seen in 61.0 % of patients, including mild (30.0 %), moderate (24.0 %), and severe (7.0 %) cases. Anaemic patients had a much lower global health status score than non-anaemic patients (54.3 ± 12.7 vs. 74.8 ± 10.4, p<0.001). There were significant reductions in physical, emotional, and social functioning ratings, with an elevation in tiredness scores (65.9 ± 16.1 vs. 37.8 ± 11.5, p<0.001). Moderate-to-severe anaemia independently forecasted decreased quality of life (OR=3.48, 95 % CI: 1.62-7.45, p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy often suffer from anaemia, which negatively impacts their quality of life. Appropriate management may improve treatment outcomes early on.