Table 3.
Quality of life in both study groups (A1 and A2) and between-group comparisons regarding the scores of the QLQ-BR23 questionnaire
| EORTC | Study groups | Arithmetic mean | Standard deviation | Mann-Whitney U-test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QLQ-BR23 | ||||
| Symptomatic scales | ||||
| (best score – 1 point) | ||||
| Body image (9–12) | A2 | 2.19 | 0.78 | Z = 2.09 |
| A1 | 2.01 | 0.79 | p = 0.0366 | |
| Sexual functioning (14, 15) | A2 | 1.63 | 0.74 | Z = 0.80 |
| A1 | 1.55 | 0.71 | p = 0.4223 | |
| Sexual pleasure 16 | A2 | 2.54 | 0.66 | Z = 1.19 |
| A1 | 2.39 | 0.68 | p = 0.2320 | |
| Life perspectives 13 | A2 | 2.78 | 0.90 | Z = 2.15 |
| A1 | 2.53 | 0.96 | p = 0.0313 | |
| Treatment side effects (1–4, 6, 7, 8) | A2 | 1.73 | 0.52 | Z = 1.63 |
| A1 | 1.81 | 0.49 | p = 0.1027 | |
| Breast symptoms (20–23) | A2 | 1.41 | 0.55 | Z = 3.24 |
| A1 | 1.60 | 0.59 | p = 0.0012 | |
| Arm symptoms (17, 18, 19) | A2 | 2.09 | 0.72 | Z = 1.39 |
| A1 | 2.20 | 0.68 | p = 0.1643 | |
| Stress related to hair loss 5 | A2 | 2.26 | 0.94 | Z = 0.61 |
| A1 | 2.37 | 0.97 | p = 0.5445 |
EORTC QLQ-BR23 – European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer module; A1 – members of Amazon groups, A2 – control group; p – statistical significance