Late morbidity in upper limb function and quality of life in women after breast cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Brazilian women. In recent years, there has been great progress in and an increasing number of breast-conserving surgical techniques; however, immediate or late morbidity after surgery, in the form of functional impairment and pain, remains a significant clinical problem. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between late upper limb functional impairment and the quality of life in women subjected to breast cancer surgery. METHOD: A total of 81 women participated in the study, with the length of time since surgery ranging from one to five years. A survey of upper limb complaints reported by patients was conducted, and the questionnaires Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQC-30 and BR23) were applied. RESULTS: The correlation between the DASH score and the length of time since surgery determined that the longer the time since surgery, the greater the difficulties in functionality of the upper limb (r=0.459; p<0.0001). A statistically significant correlation was observed between the DASH score and health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Late functional impairment had a significant impact on upper limb function in everyday life and health-related quality of life for women who underwent breast cancer surgery.

Late morbidity in upper limb function and quality of life in women after breast cancer surgery / Morbidade tardia na funcao do membro superior e na qualidade de vida de mulheres pos-cirurgia do cancer de mama

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Brazilian women. In recent years, there has been great progress in and an increasing number of breast-conserving surgical techniques; however, immediate or late morbidity after surgery, in the form of functional impairment and pain, remains a significant clinical problem. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between late upper limb functional impairment and the quality of life in women subjected to breast cancer surgery. METHOD: A total of 81 women participated in the study, with the length of time since surgery ranging from one to five years. A survey of upper limb complaints reported by patients was conducted, and the questionnaires Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQC-30 and BR23) were applied. RESULTS: The correlation between the DASH score and the length of time since surgery determined that the longer the time since surgery, the greater the difficulties in functionality of the upper limb (r=0.459; p<0.0001). A statistically significant correlation was observed between the DASH score and health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Late functional impairment had a significant impact on upper limb function in everyday life and health-related quality of life for women who underwent breast cancer surgery. .

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: O câncer de mama é a neoplasia maligna mais frequente na população feminina brasileira. Nos últimos anos, houve grande evolução das técnicas cirúrgicas e aumento do número de cirurgias conservadoras da mama, entretanto a morbidade imediata ou tardia após a cirurgia, sob a forma de comprometimento funcional e dor, ainda é um significativo problema clínico. OBJETIVO: Verificar a relação entre o comprometimento funcional tardio do membro superior e a qualidade de vida de mulheres submetidas à cirurgia do câncer de mama. MÉTODO: Participaram da pesquisa 81 mulheres com tempo decorrido de cirurgia variando entre um a cinco anos. Realizou-se levantamento das queixas referidas pelas pacientes em relação ao membro superior e foram aplicados os questionários Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) e European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQC-30 e BR23). RESULTADOS: A correlação entre o escore DASH e o tempo decorrido de cirurgia demonstrou que, quanto maior este último, maiores são as dificuldades de funcionalidade dos membros superiores das pacientes entrevistadas (r=0,459; p<0,0001). Houve correlação estatisticamente significativa entre o escore DASH e a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. CONCLUSÃO: O comprometimento funcional tardio apresentou impacto significativo na função do membro superior, na vida cotidiana e na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde das mulheres que foram submetidas à cirurgia do câncer de mama. .