Table 2.
Personal and Disease Characteristics of Breast Cancer Survivors (n=14)
| Characteristic | n(%) or Mean ± SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Characteristics
| ||
| Race (n) | ||
| Caucasian | 14 (100) | |
| Marital status | ||
| Married | 11 (79) | |
| Occupational status | ||
| Employed | 4 (21) | |
| Not working (retired, disabled, not able to find a job) | 10 (79) | |
| Age (yr) | 58.8 ± 6.7 | |
|
| ||
| Disease and Treatment Characteristics
| ||
| Time since breast cancer diagnosis (months) | 35 ± 20 | |
| Self-Reported Lymph-Node Status (n) | ||
| Negative | 8 (57) | |
| Positive | 6 (43) | |
| Cancer Treatment | ||
| Mastectomy | 6 (43) | |
| Lumpectomy | 8 (57) | |
| Radiation therapy | 13 (93) | |
| Chemotherapy | 9 (64) | |
| HER2/neu receptor antibody | 2 (14) | |
| AET | 14 (100) | |
| Time (months) since AET initiation | 28.3 ± 17.9 | |
| Type | ||
| Aromatase Inhibitor | 12 (86) | |
| Tamoxifen | 1 (7) | |
| Unknown | 1 (7) | |
| Adjustment of AET | 5 (36) | |
| Reasons for AET adjustment | ||
| Menopausal transition (eligible for tamoxifen to aromatase inhibitor conversion) | 2 (14) | |
| Intolerable adverse effects | 2 (14) | |
| No reason given | 1 (7) | |
| Percentage of AET related symptoms rated 2 or higher | 44.6 ± 17.2 | |
| Most bothersome symptoms as rated on the BCPT | ||
| Symptom Scale | ||
| General Aches | 2.9 ± 0.7 | |
| Joint Pains | 2.9 ± 1.0 | |
| Muscle Stiffness | 2.7 ± 1.1 | |
| Lack of Interest in Sex | 2.5 ± 1.6 | |
| Hot Flashes | 2.3 ± 0.9 | |
Of note: Numbers may not sum to total due to rounding.