Evaluation of the Quality of Life of Women with Breast Cancer in Morocco.

Introduction: The quality of life (QoL) of Moroccan woman with breast cancer (BC) continues to be influenced by various simultaneous factors that affect their psychological, physical, cognitive, and social well-being throughout the course of treatment. Studying these factors is essential, as it allows for the identification of patients at risk and the development of appropriate interventions to promote their QoL. This study aims to assess the QoL in Moroccan women with BC and explore its relationship with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Materials and methods: The study involved a sample of 265 BC patients who were being followed at the Regional Oncology Center in Meknes, Morocco. The evaluation was conducted using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire.

Results: The participants reported a reduced QoL and overall health status. The mean scores for the physical, environmental, social, and psychological dimensions were 43.13, 42.69, 46.85, and 45.19, respectively. The results identified several predictors of overall QoL, including education level, income, age, tumor size at diagnosis, presence of metastases, type of treatment, and cancer stage. In contrast, no significant association was found with the number of children, menopausal status, presence of comorbidities, hormone receptor status, geographic origin, disease duration, affected breast, or use of complementary medicine.

Conclusion: The QoL of Moroccan BC patients undergoing treatment is negatively impacted. These findings underscore the need for future healthcare policies to incorporate strategies aimed at improving patients' QoL - primarily through holistic approaches that include psychological and social support, therapeutic patient education, and the prevention or management of treatment-related complications.