Iranian Journal of Breast Diseases
Year:2024 | Volume:17 | Issue:2|Papers Count:7

Introduction: Women with breast cancer undergo a variety of therapies that can have long-term negative impacts on quality of life. . This study aimed to investigate the effects of a combined aerobic and resistance exercise program on the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. Methods: A total of 60 patients with breast cancer were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in a 12-week program of aerobic and resistance exercises. Each session consisted of a 10-minute warm-up, 20-40 minutes of core exercises, and a 10-minute cool-down. The intensity of the exercises gradually increased during the program. Quality of life was assessed before and after the intervention using the EORTC Core Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the QLQ-BR23 questionnaire. Data were analyzed with independent t-tests, chi-square test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and Spearman's correlation test. Results: Global health status /quality of life demonstrated a significant increase after 12 weeks of aerobic and resistance exercises in the intervention group (P=0. 019). This exercise program has a significant effect on emotional functioning (P=0. 001), financial difficulties (P=0. 0001), sexual functioning (P=0. 0001), and sexual enjoyment (P=0. 0001) of patients in the intervention group. In the symptom subscales, the mean scores of the intervention group were lower compared to the control group (P<0. 05). Conclusion: The use of planned aerobic and resistance exercise intervention under supervision effectively improves quality of life, increases functional ability, and decreases negative symptoms related to breast cancer treatments. This study pointed out that this type of exercise program can be of great help in the enhancement of the overall health and well-being of women with breast cancer after the treatment period.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with its prevalence and mortality rates increasing in recent years. The quality of life and psychological status of patients with breast cancer could be affected after diagnosis, especially during treatment. The main objective of this study is to investigate the long-term influence of breast cancer on the quality of life dimensions in survivors. Methods: This is an ongoing longitudinal prospective study that was administered at the National Institute for Medical Research Development in Iran in March 2020. A total of 1, 200 patients with breast cancer, who have completed their treatments, will be recruited from 5 referral medical centers located in Tehran to be followed for 5 years. Questionnaires for evaluating the primary and secondary outcomes will be completed by trained investigators during face-to-face interviews with each participant in three phases: immediately after treatment, 1 year later, and 5 years later. Data will be collected on socio-demographic status, quality of life, body image, hope, psychological problems (e. g., anxiety, depression, and mood), sexual function, and physical activity. Finally, data will be analyzed in each phase using SPSS 22. 0 software. Conclusion: It is the first nationwide, prospective, longitudinal study with large sample size, long-term follow-up, and broad research aims that will evaluate the quality of life-related factors in the Iranian breast cancer population to justify the existing gap in the literature.

Introduction: Today, according to the advancements in cancer treatment, a fraction of patients never experience an adverse event, such as death, even when the duration of the disease is prolonged. Cure models are used in the analysis of these types of diseases. In this study, we examined the survival of patients, the cure probability, and the affecting factors among breast cancer patients. Methods: We analyzed the data of 1, 247 breast cancer patients who referred to Motamed Jihad University Research Institute in Tehran between 1995 and 2013 and followed them up until 2018. Data analysis was done using R version 4. 3. 0 software to check the survival time of uncured patients and the cure rate and to identify the effective factors with the Bayesian estimation method by fitting the semi-nonparametric smooth mixture cure model. Results: The results of this study showed that out of 1, 247 patients with breast cancer, 82. 8% of the patients were censored, and 17. 2% of the patients died. The cure rate was 58%, according to the Kaplan-Meier curve. Examining the factors affecting the death of patients showed that the patient's high weight, more advanced stages of the disease, involvement of lymph nodes, and breast-conserving surgery were effective on the time to death and short-term survival. Conclusion: Based on the results of this, there are several crucial prognostic factors associated with breast cancer that play a significant role in identifying high-risk patients and choosing the type of treatment in the short term.

Introduction: Hope and happiness are the components that affect the quality of life of cancer patients. The present study aimed to assess the relationship of spousal support with hope and happiness in women with breast cancer. Methods: This correlational cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 married women with breast cancer who were referred to selected centers of the Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2022. Following continuous sampling, the demographic characteristics questionnaire, Snyder's Adult Hope Scale, Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, and Spousal Support Scale were completed. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 21) employing ANOVA, independent t-tests, and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean age of the women included in the study was 45. 32 years, and the majority of them (63. 5%) were housewives. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between perceived spousal support and levels of hope and happiness among participants. Increased spousal support was associated with higher levels of hope and happiness in women with breast cancer. In addition, certain demographic variables, such as socioeconomic status and the presence of children at home, were found to be significantly correlated with levels of hope and happiness among participants (P<0. 05). Conclusion: Spousal support was meaningfully associated with hope, a factor in structure and strategic thinking when facing problems, and mental happiness. The results of this research highlight the need to educate and support husbands of women with breast cancer, as they play a critical role in the support system for their partners during the illness.

Introduction: Breast cancer in women has a detrimental impact on marital relationships. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of emotion-focused couple therapy (EFCT) in marital commitment and interpersonal emotion regulation in couples where one partner suffers from breast cancer. Methods: The study followed a pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design with a follow-up. The statistical population of the study consisted of all women with breast cancer in Tabriz and their spouses who visited Al-Zahra Hospital in Tabriz during a four-month period from June to the end of November 2023, totaling 711 people. In total, 16 couples who met the inclusion criteria were selected via the available sampling method. They were then randomly assigned to two intervention groups (n=8 each) and two control groups (n=8 each). The intervention group received EFCT in 10 sessions of 1. 5 hours each (over two and a half months, with one session per week) as a group, following Johnson's treatment plan. Nonetheless, the control group did not receive any intervention. Both groups responded to Adams and Jones's (1997) 44-item Marital Commitment and Hoffman et al. 's (2016) 20-item Interpersonal Emotion Regulation questionnaires before, after, and four months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: The results of the data analysis of the present study demonstrated that after the implementation of emotion-oriented couple therapy, there was a significant difference between the values related to marital commitment and interpersonal emotion regulation in the experimental and control groups. These values increased in the experimental group. The results of the follow-up phase also displayed that the changes were permanent. Conclusion: According to the results of the present research and the important role of couples in the health of children, families, and society, it is suggested that EFCT be implemented in breast cancer associations, psychological clinics of hospitals, as well as public and private sectors. This therapy aims to enhance marital commitment and regulate the interpersonal emotions of couples.

Introduction: The quality of relationships, especially the rejection sensitivity of women with breast cancer, is of paramount importance. The present study sought to assess the relationship of attachment styles and fear of intimacy with rejection sensitivity in women with breast cancer in Sari. Methods: This study was conducted based on a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population included all women with breast cancer referring to the medical centers of Sari. A total of 100 patients were selected via targeted sampling. These participants completed the fear-of-intimacy scale, interpersonal sensitivity scale, and experiences in close relationship scale. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test and multiple regression. Results: As evidenced by the obtained results, fear of intimacy and anxious attachment style demonstrated a positive and significant correlation with rejection sensitivity in women with breast cancer (P<0. 001). There was no significant relationship between avoidant attachment style and rejection sensitivity (P> 0. 001). Moreover, the variables of fear of intimacy and anxious attachment style predicted rejection sensitivity (P<0. 001). Conclusion: Considering the importance of the role of fear of intimacy and attachment styles in the rejection sensitivity of women with breast cancer, it is suggested that health professionals use the findings of this research in designing effective psychological interventions for this group of patients.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women in Iran, and sexual dysfunction is often observed in these patients. Objectives: The present study aimed to systematically review the clinical trials to determine the effect of counseling-educational interventions on sexual issues of women with breast cancer in Iran. Methods: In this systematic review, a query was conducted on databases, including Pubmed, WOS, SCOPUS, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials. gov, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, SID, Magiran, and Irandoc up to Jan 2023. The keywords were sex, sexual counseling, sexual function, quality of sexual life, breast cancer, sexuality, education, and all possible combinations of these words with the Boolean operators of "OR" and "AND". The Cochran Group Risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of articles. Results: Finally, 10 studies (with a total sample size of 614 people) were systematically reviewed. Of these, 4 articles examined sexual counseling, 5 papers assessed sexual education, and 1 study compared sexual counseling and sexual education in patients. PLISSIT (P: Permission, LI: Limited Information, SS: Specific Suggestions, IT: Intensive Therapy) counseling, mindfulness, sexual psychology, commitment acceptance, sports counseling, couples training, and group counseling caused a significant difference in sexual variables between the intervention and control groups. Four-factor psychotherapy alone was not effective in increasing sexual assertiveness. Conclusion: Based on the results, several types of counseling and educational approaches were effective in improving sexual problems and promoting sexual health in women with breast cancer in Iran,therefore, the widespread use of these methods is recommended.