Calidad de vida en pacientes chilenas sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama / Quality of life in Chilean breast cancer survivors

Background: Quality of Life (QOL) assessment may evaluate the impact of diseases and their treatment on the overall well-being of patients. Aim: To assess QOL in Chilean breast cancer survivors. Patients and Methods: Ninety one female breast cancer patients aged 60 ± 10 years, who finished their oncologic treatment at least a year prior to the assessment, who were disease free and in medical follow-up were included in the study. They completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 core questionnaire and the breast cancer module QLQ-BR23. Results: Forty eight percent of respondents were long term survivors (more than five years). Global QOL scores were high (73.6 ± 18.2), emotional scale had the lowest scores in QLQ-C30 functional scales (72.1). Symptoms with the highest scores were: Insomnia (= 21.2), pain (= 20.8), and fatigue (= 19.1). Body image, sexual function, and concern about the future were the most relevant problems. Body image was superior in patients with breast-conserving surgery (p = 0.008), and cognitive function was better in patients in early disease stage (p = 0.03) and in those with more than five years of survival (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Even when global QOL scores were high, some symptoms were prevalent. Awareness about these problems and symptoms should improve their diagnosis and treatment.

Calidad de vida en cáncer de mama: validación del cuestionario BR23 en Chile / Validation of BR23 questionnaire for the assessment of quality of life of breast cancer patients in Chile

Background: Quality of Life assessment in oncologic patients evaluates the impact ana sequels of the disease ana the adverse effects of available treatments. Aim: To validate in Chile the breast cáncer specific-questionnaire (BR23) developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Patients and Methods: After performing a linguistic validation of the BR23 according to EORTC instructions, its psychometric properties were tested in 103 patients with breast cancer whose ages ranged from 34 to 83 years. Infernal consistency ofthe scales was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The test-retest correlations of each scale (n = 83) were evaluated. The correlation ofBR23 scales with SF36 version 2 and C30 version 3.0 scales was also assessed. The sensitivity and specificity of the instrument were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). Results: Alpha values showed acceptable levels of internal consistency, ranging between 0.702 and 0.917 in all scales of BR23. The statistical analysis revealed significant test-retest correlations in most scales ofBR23. The correlations between BR23 and similar domains of C30 and SF36 questionnaires were also significant. The BR23 questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory levels of sensitivity and specificity when compared with the SF-36 scale. Conclusions: The BR23 questionnaire adapted for use in Chile is linguistically appropriate and psychometrically valid.

Detección del linfonodo centinela en cáncer de mama en estadíos precoces: estudio multicéntrico / Sentinel lymph node detection in patients with early stage breast cancer: multicenter study

La extracción y análisis del linfonodo centinela (LNC) en cáncer de mama en estadío inicial es una alternativa válida en la etapificación de la axila, reduciendo la morbilidad asociada al vaciamiento axilar. Su marcación y localización requiere de experiencia para reducir la tasa de falsos negativos. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la seguridad en la identificación del linfonodo centinela en nuestro medio. Se estudiaron 46 mujeres con cáncer de mama infiltrante T1, T2 inyectándose Tc99m Nanocint y azul patente 1 por ciento peritumoral y posteriormente se modificó a periareolar. El 80 por ciento de los casos correspondió histológicamente a un carcinoma ductal infiltrante. En el 46.5 por ciento de las pacientes el LNC fue negativo para metástasis, al igual que el resto de los ganglios linfáticos axilares. El 53,5 por ciento restante presentó un LNC (+), en 15 de 20 pacientes, el LNC fue el único ganglio comprometido por tumor. Las 5 restantes tenían varios ganglios comprometidos, incluido el LNC. La tasa global de identificación en pabellón fue de 100 por ciento; 95 por ciento con radiocoloides y 95 por ciento con azul. El azul patente mostró 2 casos de falsos negativos y no hubo falsos negativo con radiocoloides. En conclusión, la técnica empleada sumado a la experiencia quirúrgica permiten una elevada y correcta detección del LNC.