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Title: Factors Associated with Adverse Effects in Elderly Women Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
Authors: Ahmed Raza, Zulfiqar Ali Amin, Muhammad Nadeem, Muhammad Umair, Amjad Khan
Journal: Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal (PAFMJ)
Publisher: Army Medical College, Rawalpindi.
Country: Pakistan
Year: 2022
Volume: 72
Issue: 5
Language: English
DOI: 10.51253/pafmj.v72i5.8007
Keywords: ChemotherapyBreast CancerAdverse effects
Objective: To analyze the factors associated with adverse effects in elderly women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Study Design: Comparative Cross-sectional Study.
Place and Duration of Study: Oncology Department, Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Dec2020 to Nov 2021.
Methodology: This study was conducted on 145 female patients (>65 years) with breast cancer who were taking chemotherapy of any type and had undergone one cycle. All the study participants underwent detailed clinical evaluation by a consultant oncologist to assess the presence of various adverse effects of chemotherapy. In addition, the association of Anthracycline use,>3 months of treatment, low haemoglobin at baseline and abnormal liver functions at baseline were studied with adverse effects in the study participants.
Results: The final analysis included one hundred forty-five elderly female patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.The mean age of the patients was 69.731±8.794 years. 89(61.4%) patients had no adverse effects, while 56(38.6%) had one or more adverse effects during chemotherapy. Anaemia 26(17.9%) was the commonest adverse effect, followed by fatigue 18(12.4%) and abnormal liver function tests 18(12.4%). It was revealed that the use of Anthracycline-based chemotherapy and long duration of chemotherapy were statistically significantly associated with adverse effects (p-value<0.05) in our study participants.
Conclusion: Considerable number of elderly patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy showed the presence of adverse effects. In addition, patients using Anthracycline-based chemotherapy and taking chemotherapy for more than three months were more at risk of developing adverse effects.
To analyze the factors associated with adverse effects in elderly women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.
A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the Oncology Department of Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from December 2020 to November 2021. The study included 145 female patients aged 65-80 years with Stage I-III breast cancer who had completed at least one cycle of chemotherapy. Data was collected through clinical evaluation by a consultant oncologist. Statistical analysis involved calculating means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, and applying the Pearson Chi-square test to assess associations between factors (Anthracycline use, duration of treatment, low baseline hemoglobin, abnormal baseline liver functions) and adverse effects.
graph TD;
A["Study Design: Comparative Cross-sectional Study"] --> B["Patient Recruitment: 145 elderly women with breast cancer"];
B --> C["Data Collection: Clinical evaluation by oncologist"];
C --> D["Factor Analysis: Anthracycline use, treatment duration, hemoglobin, liver function"];
D --> E["Statistical Analysis: Pearson Chi-square test"];
E --> F["Results: Identification of significant factors associated with adverse effects"];
F --> G["Conclusion: Risk factors for adverse effects identified"];
The study highlights that a considerable number of elderly breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience adverse effects. The findings suggest that Anthracycline-based regimens and longer treatment durations are risk factors for these adverse events. The results are consistent with previous research indicating that older age and the number of chemotherapeutic agents used are related to the presence and severity of adverse effects.
Of the 145 elderly female patients, 61.4% had no adverse effects, while 38.6% experienced one or more. The most common adverse effects were anemia (17.9%), fatigue (12.4%), and abnormal liver function tests (12.4%). The use of Anthracycline-based chemotherapy and a treatment duration of more than three months were statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse effects (p-value < 0.05).
Elderly women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy are at risk of experiencing adverse effects. Specifically, those treated with Anthracycline-based chemotherapy and those receiving treatment for over three months are more susceptible to developing these adverse effects.
- The study included 145 elderly female patients (aged >65 years) with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.
- 38.6% of the patients experienced one or more adverse effects during chemotherapy.
- Anthracycline-based chemotherapy and chemotherapy duration >3 months were statistically significantly associated with adverse effects (p<0.05).
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