Understanding Key Symptoms, Side Effects, and Impacts of HR+/HER2- Advanced Breast Cancer: Qualitative Study Findings

February 2019 in “ Journal of patient-reported outcomes ”

N. Galipeau, Brittany Klooster, Meaghan Krohe, Derek Tang, Dennis A. Revicki, David Cella

TLDR Patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer commonly experience fatigue, hair loss, and pain, which significantly affect daily activities.

The study conducted qualitative interviews with 15 women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer and 5 oncologists to identify key symptoms, treatment-related side effects, and impacts on physical functioning. Common symptoms included fatigue (80%), hair loss (67%), and pain (47%), with significant impacts on daily activities like housework (73%) and cooking (53%). Oncologists corroborated these findings, emphasizing the burden of both disease and treatment-related symptoms. The study highlighted the importance of understanding patient experiences to improve quality of care and patient-centered measurement strategies, despite limitations in generalizing results to the broader population.

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