• Renate Haidinger and Ingo Bauerfeind.
• Brustkrebs Deutschland e.V./German Breast Cancer Association, Hohenbrunn.
• Breast Care. 2019 Apr 1; 14 (2): 111-116.

BackgroundChronic treatment sequelae may substantially reduce the long-term quality of life in breast cancer survivors.MethodsWe report a comprehensive Web-based survey on the presence of long-term side effects of adjuvant anti-breast cancer therapy in 1,506 patients who had been diagnosed with primary breast cancer at least 1 year before.ResultsFatigue, depression, depressive mood, concentration deficit, pain, changes of mucosa and skin appendages, as well as symptoms of peripheral neuropathy were the most prevalent reported complaints. Chemotherapies - taxane-based regimens in particular - were associated with increased rates of long-term symptoms, including persistent peripheral neuropathy. Overall, the data show a substantial prevalence of a wide variety of potentially treatment-associated symptoms over a protracted time frame after the diagnosis of breast cancer. The burden of symptoms was high for fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances, pain, and peripheral neuropathic symptoms.ConclusionEstimating the burden of chronic toxicities should contribute to enhance rational decision-making on treatments including chemotherapy in patients with low versus high risk of recurrence.Copyright © 2019 by S. Karger AG, Basel.

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