Quality of life in breast cancer survivors: insights from a university hospital in Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among females in Sri Lanka. Understanding quality of life (QoL) among survivors is essential for comprehensive cancer care. This study aimed to assess QoL and identify associated factors among breast cancer survivors treated at a university hospital in Sri Lanka.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 112 breast cancer survivors treated between May 2019 and May 2022. QoL was assessed using validated European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23). Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and linear regression models were used to identify factors associated with QoL domains.

RESULTS

The mean age of survivors was 61.15 (± 13.42) years. The mean Quality of Life (QoL) domain score of the EORTC QLQ-C30 was 68.2 (SD 17.5), indicating generally good QoL among participants. Age was significantly negatively correlated with overall QoL (r = -0.31, p = 0.001) and physical functioning (r = -0.29, p = 0.002), and positively correlated with systemic therapy side effects (r = 0.24, p = 0.011) and sexual functioning (r = 0.22, p = 0.020). Larger tumor size was associated with lower physical functioning (r = -0.23, p = 0.015) and poorer body image (p = 0.018). A higher number of radiotherapy fractions was associated with lower sexual functioning (r = -0.26, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Breast cancer survivors demonstrated generally good QoL, with age emerging as a significant determinant. These findings highlight the importance of age-appropriate supportive interventions and integrating QoL assessment into routine survivorship care in Sri Lanka. Clinicians should focus on addressing physical functioning in older survivors and managing treatment side effects to optimize QoL across all age groups.