Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10 - route 616, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10 - route 114, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2022 Apr 9;21(3):235-242. doi: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvab057.
Although improved breast cancer (BC) treatment has decreased mortality, these anti-cancer regimens may have serious cardiovascular side effects that affect patients' long-term prognosis and quality of life (QoL). BC patients with cancer treatment-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) can suffer from a variety of symptoms, such as dyspnoea and fatigue. The impact of CTRCD after BC treatment on patients' daily life has not been qualitatively explored yet.
This study aims to explore the influence of CTRCD on QoL of women with BC, as defined by the concept of positive health. Second, we aim to evaluate the personal experience with cardiac surveillance during the BC trajectory.
A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted and thematically analysed to explore the QoL and healthcare experiences of BC patients with CTRCD. Twelve patients participated in this study. Five themes are selected in response to the study objective: (i) patients: overwhelming fatigue, (ii) patients: mental burden of anxiety, (iii) social setting: lack of understanding and acceptance, (iv) medical specialists: lack of knowledge and acknowledgement, and (v) patients: need for personalized care.
This study identified core components of the impact CTRCD has on the QoL of BC patients. Patients experienced an increased health-related burden due to CTRCD, affecting their physical, social, and psychosocial well-being. Healthcare experiences were largely affected by a lack of acknowledgement and professional communication. Patients underlined the need for personalized care during follow-up.
尽管乳腺癌（BC）治疗方法的改进降低了死亡率，但这些抗癌疗法可能会产生严重的心血管副作用，影响患者的长期预后和生活质量（QoL）。患有与癌症治疗相关的心脏功能障碍（CTRCD）的 BC 患者可能会出现多种症状，如呼吸困难和疲劳。BC 治疗后 CTRCD 对患者日常生活的影响尚未得到定性探讨。
本研究旨在通过积极健康的概念来探讨 CTRCD 对 BC 女性生活质量的影响。其次，我们旨在评估 BC 病程中心脏监测的个人体验。
进行了一项半结构式访谈的定性研究，并进行了主题分析，以探讨患有 CTRCD 的 BC 患者的生活质量和医疗保健体验。共有 12 名患者参与了这项研究。针对研究目的，选择了五个主题：（i）患者：压倒性的疲劳，（ii）患者：焦虑的精神负担，（iii）社会环境：缺乏理解和接受，（iv）医学专家：缺乏知识和认可，以及（v）患者：需要个性化护理。
本研究确定了 CTRCD 对 BC 患者生活质量影响的核心组成部分。患者因 CTRCD 而增加了与健康相关的负担，影响了他们的身体、社会和心理社会福祉。医疗保健体验在很大程度上受到缺乏认可和专业沟通的影响。患者强调了在随访期间需要个性化护理。
