Table 3.

Breast cancer patients’ symptoms scores as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30* (n = 60, 30 in each group)

Symptom	1st Chemotherapy cycle mean score (SD)		3rd Chemotherapy cycle mean score (SD)		4th Chemotherapy cycle mean score (SD)		5th Chemotherapy cycle mean score (SD)		6th Chemotherapy cycle mean score (SD)
	Intervention	Control	Intervention	Control	Intervention	Control	Intervention	Control	Intervention	Control
Fatigue	49.34	36.38	44.26	39.93	46.06	40.56	45.44	41.71	45.88	47.26
	(22.75)	(24.50)	(11.69)	(22.94)	(13.77)	(15.76)	(15.29)	(15.59)	(16.10)	(17.58)
Nausea and vomiting	31.19	24.13	36.03	28.73	30.10	26.55	30.11	33.91	30.64	39.08
	(25.38)	(25.03)	(24.02)	(28.48)	(18.95)	(20.53)	(20.82)	(23.35)	(21.98)	(31.89)
Pain	34.03	28.16	34.97	29.87	37.09	29.30	34.40	64.35	34.94	41.95
	(23.34)	(26.39)	(16.86)	(21.07)	(17.05)	(21.66)	(18.72)	(148.92)	(20.35)	(20.72)
Dyspnoea	22.57	14.94	21.51	12.63	11.49	15.58	18.82	19.53	18.29	20.68
	(26.37)	(23.30)	(25.17)	(18.71)	(18.72)	(18.41)	(23.88)	(22.74)	(25.61)	(24.26)
Sleep difficulties	36.55	24.12	38.73	26.42	37.09	33.32	33.86	35.61	31.71	39.06
	(26.33)	(30.73)	(24.50)	(27.29)	(22.67)	(28.18)	(22.16)	(23.47)	(25.23)	(21.96)
Loss of appetite	50.53	33.35	49.47	44.25	48.91	43.68	41.38	43.66	40.85	44.82
	(33.20)	(30.88)	(27.05)	(31.60)	(19.72)	(25.38)	(23.14)	(23.76)	(23.52)	(32.47)
Constipation	31.16	28.75	37.64	25.28	38.16	24.14	38.70	34.47	40.86	41.38
	(27.12)	(35.34)	(23.38)	(27.69)	(19.83)	(28.05)	(24.50)	(30.20)	(26.83)	(31.71)
Diarrhoea	12.90	10.34	17.22	11.49	17.19	16.09	19.34	17.23	26.86	20.69
	(20.50)	(20.13)	(22.57)	(20.46)	(20.84)	(22.92)	(22.39)	(22.92)	(59.83)	(27.34)
Financial difficulties	32.25	26.43	25.81	28.73	33.33	27.58	36.56	31.02	37.62	34.48
	(31.61)	(30.06)	(25.40)	(31.78)	(31.04)	(30.95)	(29.01)	(29.46)	(29.50)	(31.48)

*A higher value indicates a higher level of functioning and quality of life: min: 0, max: 100.

**Significant different significant difference between intervention and control groups, P < 0.01;

Independent t-test.