Purpose: To assess whether detriments in quality of life (QOL) among women with breast cancer persist over years.
Patients and methods: QOL was assessed in a population-based cohort of 314 women with breast cancer from Saarland (Germany) 1 and 3 years after diagnosis and compared internally and with reference data from the general population.
Results: Three years after diagnosis, deficits in QOL were still apparent for role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning and for the symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, dyspnea, and financial difficulties. Differences between breast cancer patients and women from the general population were predominantly found in younger ages. Compared with the QOL scores measured 1 year after diagnosis, only minor functional changes were observed, but recurrence of breast cancer during the follow-up interval had a deleterious effect on QOL.
Conclusion: Deficits in role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning persist over years in women with breast cancer and predominantly affect younger patients.