Assessment of Adverse Drug Reaction, Medication Adherence and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer-causing diseases among women worldwide and the treatment of it is often linked with negative drug reactions (ADRs), decreased adherence to medications, and decreased quality of life (QoL). While these clinical results have been studied separately, there is still a lack of clinical trials that combine the assessment of treatment safety, adherence, and patient quality of life. Thus, the present prospective observational study was carried out to thoroughly assess the ADRs, medication adherence and QoL of breast cancer patients undergoing systemic therapy treatment in a tertiary care hospital. One hundred breast cancer patients were recruited and demographic and clinical data were gathered by patient interviews and medical records. The National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) was used to assess ADRs, 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) to assess medication adherence. Further, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) is used to assess QoL. The relationships between the study variables were assessed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman's rank correlation and logistic regression analysis. The results showed a strong positive correlation between adherence and QoL (Spearman's ρ = 0.61, p < 0.001). The clinical assessment framework integrated here offers a practical solution to determine the safety of treatment and adherence to medications. Hence, patient outcome enhances clinical decision making and helps to manage breast cancer in the long term.