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Health-related quality of life of breast cancer patients in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Purpose

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women around the world, and this applies to the Middle East as well. The goal of all medical care and treatment is to improve the quality of life (QoL) of patients. Accordingly, the present study aimed at evaluating the QoL of patients with breast cancer in the Middle East region.

Methods

In this meta-analysis, three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched from inception until August 2018. The hoy et tool was used to evaluate the quality of the articles included in the meta-analysis. The search, screening, quality evaluation, and data extraction were carried out by two of the researchers.

Results

Thirty-six studies conducted on 8347 Middle Eastern women with breast cancer entered the final stage. QoL was assessed by the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire in 20 studies, with 6034 patients. The mean of the reported QoL was between 31.1 and 75.6. Based on the results of the random effect method, the overall mean of the QoL was 60.5 (95% confidence interval 56.0, 65.0; I2 = 99.0%). In six studies performed on 1053 individuals, QoL was classified as good, moderate, or poor. Less than one-third of patients (21%) had a good QoL.

Conclusions

Since less than one-third of patients had a good QoL, it seems necessary to design and implement an integrated and multidimensional educational program to improve QoL of patients with breast cancer.

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Data availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Immunology Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

    Seyed-Mehdi Hashemi

  2. Nursing Department, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran

    Abbas Balouchi

  3. Student Research Committee, Nursing and Midwifery School, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Abbas Balouchi

  4. Director of Centre of Studies and Research, Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman

    Adhra Al-Mawali

  5. Student Research Committee, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hosein Rafiemanesh

  6. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran

    Khadije Rezaie-Keikhaie

  7. Clinical Immunology Research Center Ali-ebne Abitaleb Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

    Salehoddin Bouya

  8. Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

    Behroz Dehghan

  9. Nursing Care Research Center and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mansoureh Ashghali Farahani

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  1. Seyed-Mehdi Hashemi
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Hashemi, SM., Balouchi, A., Al-Mawali, A. et al. Health-related quality of life of breast cancer patients in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat 174, 585–596 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-019-05131-0

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