Impact of Selected Percived Needs on Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Worldwide the impact of breast cancer survivorship affects them and their caregivers, leading towards a tedious journey. Numerous perceived needs had an impact on breast cancer survivors' quality of life. Early detection of their perceived needs in terms of physical, psychological, and social is necessary to make them fittest to survive at their utmost. Objectives: 1.To ascertain the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.2.To elicit the perceived needs among breast cancer survivors.3. To correlate the relationship between the perceived needs and Breast Cancer survivor’s quality of life. Methodology – A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used, and a convenient sampling technique was utilized to collect data from breast cancer survivors attending Medical Oncology OPD. Data were collected using the Perceived Stress Scale, Fatigue severity scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, Well-being scale, Coping scale, Multidimensional perceived social support scale, Medication Adherence rating scale, Toronto Informational needs questionnaire, and EORTC-QLQ- BC. Results: The Prevalence of level of perceived needs based on the QOL among breast cancer survivors were regular sleeping patients, patients with more social support, more well-being, enhanced coping, more adherence to medications, were proved to have more QOL than others such as the high amount of stress, high fatigue, and low information will have low QOL which was significant with 95% of a confidence interval.

Conclusion: There was a correlation between the perceived needs, which indicates that when the psychosocial need is affected, the physical need is affected automatically. The gaining of adequate information will enhance medication adherence and reduce stress and improve their quality of life. Hence the nurses should consider the importance of quality of life of breast cancer survivors and early detection of perceived needs while planning  specificcare.