Primary breast cancer and health related quality of life in Spanish women: The EpiGEICAM case-control study.

This study evaluates the impact of breast cancer (BC) in health related quality of life (HRQL) and in psychological distress (PD) during the initial phases of the disease and looks for contributing factors. A multicentric case-control study, EpiGEICAM, was carried out. Incident BC cases and age- and residence- matched controls were included. Clinical, epidemiological, HRQL (SF-36) and PD information (GHQ-28) was collected. We used multivariable logistic regression models to estimate OR of low HRQL and of PD in cases compared to controls, and to identify factors associated with low HRQL and with PD. Among 896 BC cases and 890 control women, cases had poorer scores than both, the reference population and the control group, in all SF-36 scales. BC women with lower education, younger, active workers, never smokers, those with comorbidities, in stage IV and with surgical treatment had lower physical HRQL; factors associated with low mental HRQL were dissatisfaction with social support, being current smoker and having children. Cases had a fivefold increased odds of PD compared to controls. Managing comorbidities and trying to promote social support, especially in younger and less educated women, could improve well-being of BC patients.This study was supported by Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC) (Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer), Fundación Cerveza y Salud 2005 (Beer and Health Foundation 2005), Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica (SEOM) (Spanish Society of Medical Oncology), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, IJCI-2014–20900), and Federación Española de Cáncer de Mama (FECMA) (Spanish Federation of Breast Cancer). The funding bodies did not have any role in the design of the study, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript.S