Bridging the Age Gap in breast cancer: Impact of chemotherapy on quality of life in older women with early breast cancer

IntroductionOlder patients with early breast cancer (EBC) derive modest survival benefit from chemotherapy but have increased toxicity risk. Data on the impact of for EBC quality life in older are limited, this is a key determinant treatment acceptance. We aimed to investigate its effect enrolled Bridging Age Gap study.Materials and methodsA prospective, multicentre, observational study ?70 years old was conducted 2013–2018 at 56 UK hospitals. Demographics, patient, tumour characteristics, treatments adverse events were recorded. Quality assessed using European Organisation Research Treatment Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaires (EORTC-QLQ) C30, BR23 ELD 15 plus Euroqol-5D (eq-5d) over 24 months analysed each time point baseline adjusted linear regression analysis propensity score-matching.ResultsThree thousand four hundred sixteen study; 1520 undergoing surgery who had high-risk included analysis. 376/1520 (24.7%) received chemotherapy. At 6 months, significant negative several EORTC-QLQ-C30 domains, including global health score, physical, role, social functioning, cognition, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, dyspnoea, appetite loss, diarrhoea constipation. Similar trends documented other scales (EORTC-QLQ-BR23, EORTC-QLQ-ELD15 EQ-5D-5L). Its no longer 18–24 unmatched matched cohorts.ConclusionsThe quality-of-life clinically statistically resolves by 18 which crucial inform decision-making contemplating chemotherapy.Trial registration number ISRCTN46099296.