Effect of counseling intervention post mastectomy for women undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy on their quality of life

International Conference & Exhibition on Cancer Science & Therapy

15-17 August 2011 Las Vegas, USA

Nessrien O. El-Sayed and Zeinab Hussein Ali

Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University
Helwan University

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Cancer Sci Ther

Abstract :

Post mastectomy treatment for women diagnosed with breast cancer is complex, dynamic, and controversial. More choices are available for the control and indications for adjuvant therapy. However, this treatment can lower long-term quality of life. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of counseling intervention post mastectomy for women undergoing adjuvant therapy on their quality of life. This quasi-experimental study was conducted for women who received chemotherapy post mastectomy. The study group subjects were exposed to counseling sessions. The study included a consecutive sample of 42 women, following mastectomy, who received adjuvant chemotherapy eligible from the Oncology Department in Nasser Institute Hospital, the Outpatient Breast Clinic of the Clinical and Nuclear Medicine Center in Ain Shams University, EL-Naser Insurance hospital at Helwan city and the National Cancer Institute, affiliated to Cairo University. Two tools were utilized to collect data;(1) patient�s questionnaire sheet, (2) Self administered questionnaires that include The European Organization for Research and Treatment Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire C30known as the Quality of Life Question (EORTC QLQ-C30), and it�s breast cancer supplementary measure The European Organization for Research and Treatment Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire BR23 (EORTC QLQ-BR23).The results of this study showed highly statistically significant differences among group in relation to decreasing systemic therapy side effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on patients (p<0.000).There was also statistically significant improvement among women as regards physical, and psychosocial status as well as global quality of life. The pre-post and follow-up changes in knowledge scores revealed also statistically significant improvement in the study group p<0.000.These results imply that the counseling intervention has succeeded with highly significant positive effect in improving patient�s knowledge, and quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended to generalize these counseling intervention among women post mastectomy undergoing other type of adjuvant therapy.