News > Breast Cancer Chemotherapy and Hormonal Therapy Affect Quality of Life Over Time

Breast Cancer Chemotherapy and Hormonal Therapy Affect Quality of Life Over Time

Study from ASCO Annual Meeting shows differences in impact among pre- and postmenopausal women, and based on type of therapy.

general_content

A study of 4,262 people with early-stage breast cancer in Paris sought to define how chemotherapy and hormonal therapy affect quality of life. The study was presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

To keep up to date with research findings, doctors often consider new courses of treatment that add more medicines to care or keep people taking them longer. The researchers in this study wanted to lay out how and to what extent treatment affects quality of life and how these effects differ among treatments.

The study found that two years after diagnosis, people were still affected by treatment:

  • People given chemotherapy reported effects on physical function and thinking.
  • People given hormonal therapy reported negative effects on role and social function.

The study also found a difference between premenopausal women – women who still get periods regularly – and postmenopausal women – women who have stopped getting periods. Premenopausal women reported more problems relating to chemotherapy, and postmenopausal women reported more problems related to hormonal therapy.

The study illustrates how treatments can affect lives even after they end. The researchers pointed to the effects of hormonal therapy. In recent years, while researchers have been looking for ways to use less chemotherapy, guidance on hormonal therapy has been moving toward giving it for longer periods. The authors of this study recommend that doctors and other researchers consider these effects as they weigh adding treatment.

related_resources_article_carousel

Related resources

Treatment for metastatic breast cancer

10/14/24 | BY: Douglas Yee, Pallav K. Mehta

The goal of metastatic breast cancer treatment is to manage the disease while limiting side effects. Learn about available treatments and when they are used.

Read More
 | 22 Min. Read |

Targeted therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

10/14/24 | BY: Sameer Gupta, Pallav K. Mehta

Targeted therapies are treatments that target specific proteins or markers on or within cancer cells that help cancer cells grow. There are many different kinds of targeted therapy, including CDK 4/6 inhibitors.

Read More
 | 12 Min. Read |

Clinical trials for MBC

09/26/24 | BY: Pallav K. Mehta

There are many reasons you might change treatments for metastatic breast cancer. If you and your doctors find that one medicine isn’t right for you anymore, you’ll talk about other therapies that are available.

Read More
 | 7 Min. Read |

FDA approval programs

09/26/24 | BY: Pallav K. Mehta

Studying medicine effects takes years. FDA reviews extend the process, but offers programs to expedite vital medicines for those in need.

Read More
 | 8 Min. Read

Clinical trials

09/26/24 | BY: LBBC Staff, Pallav K. Mehta

Clinical trials are research studies carried out in people. They evaluate new therapies and compare the new treatments to current ones.

Read More
 | 13 Min. Read |

Ribociclib

09/18/24 | BY: Sameer Gupta

Ribociclib (Kisqali), a targeted therapy, is the second CDK 4/6 inhibitor to be approved by the FDA. It targets two specific kinases, or enzymes, that help tumor cells grow and divide.

Read More
 | 6 Min. Read |

Metastatic trial search

06/21/24

Use this tool to find metastatic breast cancer trials across the United States.

Read More

Early-stage breast cancer trial search

06/21/24

Use this tool to find early-stage breast cancer clinical trials across the United States.

Read More
|

Medicines to protect bones

05/29/24 | BY: Adam Brufsky, Kanu Sharan

In addition to lifestyle changes you can make to help keep your bones healthy, there are certain medicines that can be taken to stop bone loss.

Read More
 | 7 Min. Read |

Biosimilars

05/28/24 | BY: William J. Gradishar

Biosimilars are a new type of medicine made by copying brand-name biologics. Biologics are medicines made from living cells, rather than chemicals.

Read More
 | 7 Min. Read |
stay_connected

Stay connected

Sign up to receive emotional support, medical insight, personal stories, and more, delivered to your inbox weekly.

about_this_page_tabbed_module
About this page
Glossary
About LBBC

Eric Fitzsimmons

Eric Fitzsimmons headshot
  • Former LBBC staff writer and content coordinator

Tagged:

Was this page helpful?

Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to create a world that understands there is more than one way to have breast cancer. To fulfill its mission of providing trusted information and a community of support to those impacted by the disease, Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers on-demand emotional, practical, and evidence-based content. For over 30 years, the organization has remained committed to creating a culture of acceptance — where sharing the diversity of the lived experience of breast cancer fosters self-advocacy and hope. For more information, learn more about our programs and services.