Major depressive disorder, personality disorders, and coping strategies are independent risk factors for lower quality of life in non-metastatic breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to identify risk factors for lower quality of life (QOL) in non-metastatic breast cancer patients.

METHODS

Our study included 120 patients from the University Hospital Centers of Tours and Poitiers. This cross-sectional study was conducted 7 months after patients' breast cancer diagnosis and assessed QOL (Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 = QLQ-C30), socio-demographic characteristics, coping strategies (Brief-COPE), physiological and biological variables (e.g., initial tumor severity and types of treatment received), the existence of major depressive disorder (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview), and pain severity (Questionnaire de Douleur Saint Antoine). We assessed personality disorders 3 months after diagnosis (Vragenlijst voor Kenmerken van de Persoonlijkheid questionnaire). We used multiple linear regression models to determine which factors were associated with physical, emotional, and global QOL.

RESULTS

Lower physical QOL was associated with major depressive disorder, younger age, a more severe initial tumor stage, and the use of the behavioral disengagement coping. Lower emotional QOL was associated with major depressive disorder, the existence of a personality disorder, a more severe pain level, higher use of self-blame, and lower use of acceptance coping strategies. Lower global QOL was associated with major depressive disorder, the existence of a personality disorder, a more severe pain level, higher use of self-blame, lower use of positive reframing coping strategies, and an absence of hormone therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower QOL scores were more strongly associated with variables related to the individual's premorbid psychological characteristics and the manner in which this individual copes with the cancer (e.g., depression, personality, and coping) than to cancer-related variables (e.g., treatment types and cancer severity). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.