Assessment of life quality factors by breast cancer patients

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the results of a sociological investigation with the aim to analyze the research data on subjective and objective life quality factors for breast cancer patients and to discover the key factors influencing quality of life the most at the start of treatment. To achieve this goal a survey of 300 breast cancer patients recently having undergone a mastectomy was conducted at the Pauls Stradins Clinical University hospital. The questionnaire covered an array of social factors and a set of standardized life quality indicators. The quantitative data was supplemented with qualitative material from 14 in-depth interviews. The results showed that breast cancer patients, at the beginning of treatment, evaluated their quality of life mainly average or good. The primary factors negatively influencing quality of life were insubstantial finances, inadequate social and emotional support at the first weeks after diagnosis.