Quality of life of patients with locally advanced breast cancer after neutron therapy

Quality of life of 42 patients with locally advanced breast cancer (T2-4N0-3M0) after combined modality treatment including either neutron therapy or photon therapy was studied. The EORTC QLQ-30 (version 3.0) and EORTC QLQ -BR-23 questionnaires were used. A slight decrease in the physical and emotional state and nausea/vomiting were observed in the group of patients who received neutron therapy (n=20) as well as in the group of patients who received photon therapy (n=22). In patients of the neutron therapy group, an increase in the index of dyspnea by 6 points (with the baseline index of 15.0 ± 5.7 points) was observed. The dyspnea index decreased to 5.26 ± 2.9 points 12 months later in patients having no evidence of disease progression. Local pulmonary fibrosis was diagnosed in 2 (10 %) of 20 breast cancer patients. In photon therapy group patients, an increase in the index of dyspnea by 11 points (with the baseline index of 14.3 ± 5.1 points) was observed. In 12 months, the dyspnea index decreased to 7.1 ± 3.1 points. Local pulmonary fibrosis was diagnosed in 4 (18 %) of 22 patients. A moderate decline in the general health status was observed in both groups of patients after neutron therapy delivered to the anterior chest wall. However, all patients with locally advanced breast cancer subjectively noted the rise of the general health status 12 months after completion of treatment (78.3 ± 4.2 points, respectively). Thus, postoperative neutron therapy delivered to the anterior chest wall did not increase the frequency of complications and did not affect the quality of life of breast cancer patients.