Introduction:

Cancer is the leading malignancy in women, and breast cancer is the leading cause of death from malignancy in females worldwide, with around 500 thousand deaths each year. However, during its evolution the focus has only been on the treatment, forgetting the psychological aspects of the disease. For this reason, this study includes the health-related quality of life, which analyses the postreatment clinical approach, the physical repercussions and the changes associated with behavior and mood, which will enable to highlight a functional status of the patients that reflects their physical, mental and social health.

Methods:

A descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted on breast cancer patients in clinical stages I to III managed with surgical treatment, including mastectomy or conservative surgery, on follow-up in the Outpatient Clinic of the UMAE-HE, CMNO, during the period between January 1st, 2000 and December 31st, 2013. The evaluations were based on the questionnaires of the EORTC group QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23.

Results:

The overall quality of life score of the patients was 45.5 for mastectomy and 42.7 for conservative surgery, with an overall health status of 44.1. Of all the parameters, there were only differences in the symptoms section, specifically for constipation, and financial impact, which were worse for patients with mastectomy. Likewise, in the questionnaire specific for breast cancer, no statistically significant differences were observed in any of the sections, from which it can be assumed that the quality of life is similar between the two types of treatment.

Conclusion:

Patients with breast cancer in this institution have a lower quality of life than that reported in the world literature. This suggests the need to implement programs that focus on these aspects, and not only on the oncological management, during the treatment and follow-up of patients.