Changes in Functional Status and Physical and Psychological Symptoms in Women Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Aims: This study was planned to determine whether there were changes in breast cancer women’s functionalstatus and presence of physical and psychological symptoms before and after chemotherapy.
Methods: Theresearch sample comprised 101 women with breast cancer receiving oncology services at university hospitals(Pamukkale and Ege Universities) in two cities in western Turkey (Izmir and Denizli) who volunteered toparticipate in the study. The Patient and Medical Information Questionnaire, Symptoms List, and the Inventoryof Functional Status-Cancer (IFS-CA) were used for data collection to determine the functional status .
Results:According to the IFS-CA in the examination of the women’s functional status the after chemotherapy scoreswere lower and significantly different for household and family activities (p<0.0001), social and communityactivities (p<0.0001), personal care activities (p<0.0001) and occupational activities (p<0.003). Similarly therewas also a statistically significant increase in presence of physical and psychological symptoms after chemotherapy,particularly affected the personal care activities subscale of the functional status inventory.
Conclusions: It wasdetermined that the worsening of the functional status of breast cancer women was associated with chemotherapyand more physical and psychological discomforts were experienced.