PURPOSE: This is the methodological study to develop the cognitive function scale for breast cancer patients. METHODS: Study was consisted with 1st and 2nd items developing and testify for reliability and validity of them. 94 breast cancer patients in 2 university hospitals and 1 general hospitals responded to a questionnaire that assessed cognitive function scale. Collected data were analysed using the program SPSS/PC Win 21.0. Structural validity was determined factor analysis and convergent validity. This method yielded Cronbach's α value as an internal consistency for the reliability. RESULTS: Factor analysis resulted in six factors and 24 items accounted for 76.31% of the variance. Cronbach's α of scale developed was high as a .95. CONCLUSION: The developed cognitive function scale in breast cancer patients scale has reliability and validity as linear analogue scale witch quantitatively measure the subjectivity. Over these results, providing the way on an assessment in cognitive function in effect for breast cancer patients, it is supposed to contribute the development of nursing knowledge about the cognitive function in breast cancer patients.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cognition* ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Methods ; Nursing ; Reproducibility of Results

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting sexual function in breast cancer women after receiving cancer treatment. METHODS: The participants were 152 patients treated at medical center. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 'October 4th to December 30th', 2011. The instruments used in this study were sexual function, pain, fatigue, body image, depression, anxiety, stress and spousal support. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression with the SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: The mean score of sexual function was 14.37. The lowest score among sexual function was arousal. The scores of sexual function was significantly different by age, menopause, tumor stage. There were significant correlations between sexual function, pain, body image, fatigue and depression. In multiple regression analysis, factors affecting sexual function were identified as age, tumor stage, pain, body image and fatigue that explained 62.5% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that it is necessary to develop a more effective sexual function improvement program for breast cancer women after receiving cancer treatment.
Anxiety ; Arousal ; Body Image ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; Sexuality

PURPOSE: This study was to compare climacteric symptoms and cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors (n=51) and healthy women (n=51). METHODS: This study was conducted from January 4th, 2012 to February 16th, 2012. We individually matched healthy women to breast cancer survivors based on age and education, and assessed a questionnaire regarding climacteric symptoms and cognitive impairment. Data were analyzed by using chi2, t-test, and Pearson correlation with the SPSS/Win 12.0 program. RESULTS: The average score for the climacteric symptoms (19.71) was significantly different (t=-2.78, p=.006) to the average for the breast cancer survivors (15.53). The average cognitive impairment score for the breast cancer survivors (86.37) was significantly different (t=-2.45, p=.016) to the average score for the healthy women (67.92). The climacteric symptoms score showed a significant relationship with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: These results support that adjuvant chemotherapy and anti-hormone therapy are associated with climacteric symptoms and adverse cognitive effects in breast cancer survivors.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Climacteric ; Female ; Humans ; Survivors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the impact of fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression on the quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer patients. METHODS: This study was conducted from July 12th to July 20th, 2010. One hundred and fifty breast cancer patients were recruited from D city in Korea. The instruments used in this study were the fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression and the quality of life scales for patients with breast cancer. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. RESULTS: The quality of life for cancer patients showed a significant relationship with fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression. The significant factors influencing quality of life were fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression that explained 65.6% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Patients with breast cancer experienced fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression which led to a negative effect on quality of life. The results suggest that intervention programs to reduce fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression could improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients.
Anxiety ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Korea ; Quality of Life ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: This study reviewed articles related to breast cancer, cognitive function and chemotherapy available in 4 databases. METHODS: The researcher reviewed 32 pieces of literature that were published between January 2001 and November 2011. RESULTS: Within the last decade, several studies have investigated whether adjuvant treatment of breast cancer affects cognitive function. A number of prospective studies have reported inconsistent results regarding whether chemotherapy affects cognitive function. Approximately half of the studies reported subtle cognitive decline in a wide range of domains among some breast cancer patients following chemotherapy, and others did not. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy showed the most deterioration and the most persistent decline in cognitive function. Since cognitive impairment is subtle, if evident at all, discrepant findings are due to hormonal, physiological, psychological or temporal confounding variables and differences in study design. Especially, that chemotherapy may impair memory, executive function, attention and visuospatial function in women with breast cancer.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cognition ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Executive Function ; Female ; Humans ; Memory

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of the process of the change in cognitive function for women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer. METHODS: There were ten participants in total in this study. Data were gathered utilizing in-depth interviews over 3 times from September 2010 to January 2011. Data were analyzed by employing Strauss and Corbin's (1998) grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: Findings indicate that causal conditions of these results were 'side effects of chemotherapy' and 'menopausal state', including contextual conditions as, 'mental fatigue' and 'anxiety about recurrence'. The core category was identified as 'confronting with unexpected chaos'. Intervening conditions were 'support from other people', 'lack of information on cognitive impairment'. Interaction strategies were 'changing the habit of life', 'making efforts for living life' and 'seeking for medical information'. Consequences of the process were 'physical restriction', 'difficulty in social life', 'disturbed working ability' and 'psychological distress'. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that nurses should recognize there is a notable difference between individual patient's contextual conditions and interactive strategies. Furthermore educational information and individualized intervention should be provided to improve cognitive function for women with breast cancer.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cognition ; Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the trend of cognitive developmental interventions on patients with breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy. METHODS: The researcher searched databases and selected 17 literatures using chemotherapy, breast cancer, cognitive function and intervention as searching key words. Searched databases included Ovid, Pubmed, Proquest and Medline and data collection period was from January 2000 to May 2010. RESULTS: Interventions for patients with breast cancer have been continuously developed and frequent research topics included breast cancer, chemotherapy, quality of life, and cognitive function. In terms of study design, four research articles were pre-experimental study designs, one was case study, and the rest of studies were nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. Effects of intervention were examined in only 5 studies among 17. The interventions were not found to have direct effects in cognitive improvement. CONCLUSION: It is needed to figure out the mechanism of cognitive deterioration of the patients with breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy. And nursing interventions needs to be developed in order to hold up the cognitive downhill and help their cognitive rehabilitation.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cognition ; Data Collection ; Humans ; Clinical Trial ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: This study analyzed recent trends of instrument usage assessing cognitive function of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: The researcher collected 64 studies outside the country that were published between January 1996 and August 2010. RESULTS: There was no study on the instrument assessing all domains of cognitive function in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Most instruments assessing cognitive function of breast cancer patients have been used for patients with dementia, depression, and/or organic brain damage. Also the objective neuropsychological tests such as the grooved pegboard for the psychomotor area, RCFT copy in visuospatial skill area and the WAIS-III block design have low sensitivity for measuring cognitive function in breast cancer patients, thus they are not good for applying to breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION: There is a need to develop an instrument which has good sensitivity and specificity for measuring the cognitive function of the breast cancer patients who experienced cognitive impairment after chemotherapy treatment. In addition, the developed instrument needs to be accessible and feasible in any nursing clinical setting for the purpose of accurate assessment and evaluation of the cognitive function among breast cancer patients.
Brain ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between fatigue and quality of life (QOL) of Korean cancer inpatients. METHODS: The data were collected from May to August 2007. Study subjects were recruited at D, Y and A university hospitals in Daegu and Kyungpook, Korea. The research instruments utilized in this study were fatigue (FACT-F) and quality of life (FACT-G) in Korean version 4. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation using SPSS Win 12.0 program. RESULTS: Fatigue of subjects showed a significant difference according to the type of treatment, change in weight, performance status, exercise, and sleep. The QOL of subjects showed a significant difference according to the purpose of treatment, change in weight, performance status, exercise, and sleep. The mean score of fatigue was 22.48 and the mean score of QOL was 55.52. The fatigue was negatively related to QOL, physical well-being, emotional well-being, and functional well-being. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the needs for intervention in order to reduce fatigue and to improve QOL of cancer inpatients.
Fatigue ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignant tumors in Korea. The major tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) such as p16, Rb, E-cadherin and p53 may play important roles in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and the regulation of the expression of other genes as well as tumor suppression. Microsatellite alteration such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH) have been reported to be a novel mechanism of carcinogenesis and a useful prognostic factor for many malignant tumors. Also, LOH is also known to be related with allelic loss of various TSGs. This study evaluated LOH of 4 TSGs in invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) and we correlated these results with the clinicopathological factors. METHODS: LOH analysis was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction with 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers of 4 TSGs in 50 surgically resected tumors and their non-tumorous counterparts. RESULTS: There was no detectable LOH in the normal tissue. LOH was detected in 86% of the 50 cases of IDCs. LOH was detected on all chromosomes and this showed a statistical difference between benign tumor and malignant tumor. LOH of p16, Rb, E-cadherin and p53 TSGs was detected in 36%, 26%, 54% and 60% of the tumors, respectively. LOH of the p16 and Rb genes was inversely correlated with tumor grade 1. The low rate of detecting LOH on the E-cadherin gene was noted in T1 tumor and stage I disease. LOH of the p53 gene correlated well with the tumor size and stage. The LOH-High results correlate well with the tumor size and stage and the LOH-High results are similar to those of the p53 gene LOH. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LOH of the 4 major TSGs may contribute to the development and invasion of IDCs. Also, the combined use of various LOH markers may help in deciding the prognosis of IDCs.
Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cadherins ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Cell Cycle ; Genes, p53 ; Genes, Retinoblastoma ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor* ; Korea ; Loss of Heterozygosity* ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prognosis