Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy worldwide which carries a high mortality rate. Quality of life (QoL) is adversely affected by the disease process; thus, this systematic review aimed to Summarize the QoL among women with breast cancer in Saudi Arabia, and descriptively analyze the risk factors that are associated with low QoL.

Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic review, a literature search for all cross-sectional studies conducted in Saudi Arabia was performed in five databases including PubMed, DOAJ, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Mendeley, then, the studies which met the eligibility criteria were extracted and assessed for quality using AXIS tool.

Results: Following a full-text evaluation, there were a total of 8 included articles. Based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire, the Global Health Status (GHS) score of patients with breast cancer ranged from 31.2 +20 to 73.16 ± 20.26. Elements that impact Health Related Quality of Life (HRQol) are the age of breast cancer diagnosis, marital status, and number of children. Women who are childless, widowed, or divorced have a lower quality of life (QoL), and those who were diagnosed beyond the age of 50 have worse emotional functioning. Emotional well-being is lowered by the coexisting medical issues especially if living alone. Chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies can make the patients stressed and more tired. Rehabilitation groups surprisingly can increase insomnia, while immunotherapy and radiation therapy may decrease physical function, particularly in older patients.

Conclusion: This systematic review has identified several factors that affect the quality of life of breast cancer patients in Saudi Arabia, including physical, mental, functional, and social well-being, as well as various sociodemographic factors. Understanding these factors and implementing a QoL assessment tool in clinical practice can aid in the development of supportive measurements for those patients and their families, helping them to manage their life challenges more effectively.