Thirty-five women, who had received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for Stage I1 breast carcinoma, were interviewed approximately 21 months after treatment ended. Patients were asked to describe any continuing psychosocial effects of adjuvant chemotherapy in five life areas. All patients had responded to similar interviews 2% years earlier, while they were receiving chemotherapy. A comparison of first and second interview ratings for disease-free patients indicated that significant improvements in quality of life were reported in four of the five life areas. However, patients did report some continuing disruption in general activity level. Forty-four percent of the patients reported long-term disruption in at least one area, and 56% described continuing physical problems related to chemotherapy. When asked what they would suggest to help other patients adjust to receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, over 50% of the respondents recommended "staying busy" and "getting information." The implications of these findings are discussed.
Cancer 52:1541-1545, 1983.
PPROXIMATELY one third of the 100,000 American
A women who will develop breast carcinoma this year will have Stage I1 disease. Many of these women will receive some form of adjuvant chemotherapy, a form of treatment which has been found to result in a delay of early recurrence.'-6 The 5-year results for adjuvant chemotherapy also show an improved survival in premenopausal women, but reports are conflicting with regard to the degree and length of delay of recurrence, and the improvement in survival, in postmenopausal ~o m e n . ' -~* ~ Based on these findings it has been suggested that further research is required before treatment can be advocated as standard medical practice for postmenopausal women.3 However, adjuvant chemotherapy has become the treatment of choice for Stage I1 breast carcinoma in premenopausal women. For these patients, the question is no longer one of whether they should receive