Background 

While women diagnosed with breast cancer have increased survival when compared with other cancers, survivorship may include residual symptom burden from treatment and continuing endocrine therapies.

Objective 

The objective of this study was to identify subgroups of breast cancer survivors experiencing similar symptom severity.

Methods 

Participants were 498 women with breast cancer, not on active treatment. Symptom severity was self-reported using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. Target symptoms were included in a latent profile analysis. Factors related to subgroup membership and differences in quality of life (QOL) and functioning were explored using logistic regression.

Results 

Mean age was 60.11 (SD, 11.32) years, 86.1% were white, and 79.1% were receiving endocrine therapy. Target symptoms included fatigue (reported at ≥5 by 22.8% of women), sleep disturbance (24.8%), and trouble remembering (17.2%). Two subgroups were identified: low symptom severity (77.0% of women) and high (23.0%). Older women (odds ratio [OR], 0.971; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.952–0.989) and employed women (OR, 0.621; 95% CI, 0404–0.956) were less likely to be in the high subgroup; women with poorer performance status (OR, 1.653; 95% CI, 1.188–2.299) were more likely to be in the high subgroup. Women in the high subgroup reported lower QOL (P = .000) and greater interference with functioning (P = .000).

Conclusions 

Two subgroups of women with distinct symptom severity were identified.

Implications for Practice 

Identification of women at risk for high symptoms during survivorship may allow clinicians to intensify their approach to symptom management, thereby mitigating poor outcomes and impairments in QOL.

中文翻译：

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识别具有高症状负担的乳腺癌幸存者

背景 

虽然与其他癌症相比，被诊断患有乳腺癌的女性存活率更高，但存活率可能包括治疗和持续内分泌治疗的残留症状负担。

客观的 

本研究的目的是确定具有相似症状严重程度的乳腺癌幸存者亚组。

方法 

参与者是 498 名未接受积极治疗的乳腺癌女性。症状严重程度是使用 MD 安德森症状清单自我报告的。目标症状包括在潜在的概况分析中。使用逻辑回归探讨了与亚组成员资格以及生活质量 (QOL) 和功能差异相关的因素。

结果 

平均年龄为 60.11 (SD, 11.32) 岁，86.1% 为白人，79.1% 正在接受内分泌治疗。目标症状包括疲劳（22.8% 的女性报告为 ≥5）、睡眠障碍(24.8%) 和记忆障碍 (17.2%)。确定了两个亚组：低症状严重程度（77.0% 的女性）和高症状严重程度（23.0%）。老年女性（比值比 [OR]，0.971；95% 置信区间 [CI]，0.952–0.989）和就业女性（OR，0.621；95% CI，0404–0.956）不太可能属于高亚组；表现状态较差的女性 (OR, 1.653; 95% CI, 1.188–2.299) 更有可能属于高亚组。高亚组中的女性报告了较低的 QOL ( P = .000) 和更大的功能干扰 ( P = .000)。

结论 

确定了症状严重程度不同的两个女性亚组。

实践意义 

识别出在生存期间有严重症状风险的女性可以让临床医生加强他们的症状管理方法，从而减轻不良结果和 QOL 的损害。