Stress and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Patients

Context: Breast cancer cases have doubled in India in the last two decades. In India the growing epidemic of breast cancer presents a major challenge to the global public health especially given the failure to cope with the current situation.

Objectives: This study was done to assess the level of stress and quality of life among breast cancer patients in Erode Cancer Centre at Erode.

Methods: The study design undertaken was non experimental descriptive design. Stratified random sampling technique was used based on the stages of breast cancer to select 40 samples for the study. The tools used to collect the data were demographic variables, P.Herschbach Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients (QSC-R23) and the Quality Of Life instrument -Breast Cancer Patient Version.

Results: The result depicts that in stage I breast cancer patients 60% had mild level of stress, 40% had moderate level of stress and none of them with severe level of stress. In stage II 40% were with mild stress, 40% with moderate stress and only 20% with severe stress. In stage III 30% had mild stress, 30% with moderate stress and 40% with severe level of stress. In stage IV none of them were with mild level of stress, 30% were with moderate stress and 70% with severe stress. Breast cancer patient's Quality of Life exhibits that in stage I 40% had poor quality of life and 60% had very poor quality of life. In stage II 50% had poor quality of life and 50% with very poor quality of life. In stage III 20% were with poor quality of life and 80% were with very poor quality of life. In stage IV 10% had poor quality of life and 90% had very poor quality of life and none of them were with good quality of life between stage I and IV.