Effect of Counseling Intervention Post Mastectomy for Women Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy on their Quality of Life
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- Category: Vol. 79, March 2011
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Effect of Counseling Intervention Post Mastectomy for Women Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy on their Quality of Life,NESSRIEN O. EL-SAYED and ZEINAB H. ALI
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 mas-tectomy, 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 question-naires that include The European Organization for Research and Treatment Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire C30 known 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 knowl-edge scores revealed also statistically significant improvement in the study group p<0.000. These results imply that the coun-seling intervention has succeeded with highly significant positive effect in improving patient's knowledge, and quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended to generalize this coun-seling intervention among women post mastectomy undergoing other type of adjuvant therapy.