Table 2.
Patients’ Clinical Characteristics by Treatment Method
| Variable | Treatment Method N=150 | P value | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCT N=50 | MTX N=50 | MTX+R N=50 | |||||||
| n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | ||
| Duration of illness | |||||||||
| Up to 2 years | 68 | 45% | 21 | 42% | 19 | 38% | 28 | 56% | 0.001 |
| 2–5 years | 34 | 23% | 11 | 22% | 7 | 14% | 16 | 32% | |
| More than 5 years | 46 | 31% | 18 | 36% | 23 | 46% | 5 | 10% | |
| No answer | 2 | 1% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 1 | 2% | |
| Treatment forms* | |||||||||
| Surgery | 141 | 94% | 43 | 86% | 48 | 96% | 50 | 100% | 0.011 |
| Chemotherapy | 112 | 75% | 28 | 56% | 47 | 94% | 37 | 74% | <0.001 |
| Radiation therapy | 90 | 60% | 46 | 92% | 32 | 64% | 12 | 24% | <0.001 |
| Hormonal therapy | 79 | 53% | 28 | 56% | 19 | 38% | 32 | 64% | 0.029 |
| The most significant complaint associated with the disease* | |||||||||
| Pain | 72 | 48% | 20 | 40% | 23 | 46% | 29 | 58% | 0.186 |
| Arm swelling | 42 | 28% | 12 | 24% | 22 | 44% | 8 | 16% | 0.006 |
| Hair loss | 50 | 33% | 11 | 22% | 27 | 54% | 12 | 24% | 0.001 |
| Low mood | 87 | 58% | 32 | 64% | 27 | 54% | 28 | 56% | 0.563 |
| Other ** | 1 | 1% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 0 | 0% | 1 |
| Secondary cancer site | |||||||||
| First incidence | 131 | 87% | 44 | 88% | 40 | 80% | 47 | 94% | 0.001 |
| Secondary incidence | 16 | 11% | 6 | 12% | 10 | 20% | 0 | 0% | |
| No answer | 3 | 2% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 6% | |
| T parameter | |||||||||
| T0 | 4 | 3% | 2 | 4% | 1 | 2% | 1 | 2% | <0.001 |
| T1 | 50 | 33% | 31 | 62% | 3 | 6% | 16 | 32% | |
| T2 | 85 | 57% | 14 | 28% | 41 | 82% | 30 | 60% | |
| T3 | 10 | 7% | 3 | 6% | 4 | 8% | 3 | 6% | |
| T4 | 1 | 1% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 0 | 0% | |
| N parameter | |||||||||
| N0 | 96 | 64% | 37 | 74% | 20 | 40% | 39 | 78% | <0.001 |
| N1 | 51 | 34% | 12 | 24% | 29 | 58% | 10 | 20% | |
| N2 | 2 | 1% | 1 | 2% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | |
| N3 | 1 | 1% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 0 | 0% | |
| M parameter | |||||||||
| M0 | 146 | 97% | 49 | 98% | 48 | 96% | 49 | 98% | 0.073 |
| M1 | 3 | 2% | 1 | 2% | 2 | 4% | 0 | 0% | |
| M2 | 1 | 1% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | |
| Satisfaction with treatment | |||||||||
| Yes | 99 | 66% | 42 | 84% | 21 | 42% | 36 | 72% | 0.001 |
| Yes, moderately | 28 | 19% | 7 | 14% | 11 | 22% | 10 | 20% | |
| Rather not | 14 | 9% | 1 | 2% | 12 | 24% | 1 | 2% | |
| Not | 9 | 6% | 0 | 0% | 6 | 12% | 3 | 6% | |
| Cosmetic result | <0.001 | ||||||||
| Very good | 59 | 39% | 30 | 60% | 6 | 12% | 23 | 46% | |
| Good | 68 | 45% | 18 | 36% | 28 | 56% | 22 | 44% | |
| Poor | 17 | 11% | 2 | 4% | 12 | 24% | 3 | 6% | |
| Very poor | 6 | 4% | 0 | 0% | 4 | 8% | 2 | 4% | |
| Negative impact of treatment on personal life | |||||||||
| Large impact | 53 | 35% | 12 | 24% | 31 | 62% | 10 | 20% | <0.001 |
| Small impact | 46 | 31% | 20 | 40% | 10 | 20% | 16 | 32% | |
| No impact | 51 | 34% | 18 | 36% | 9 | 18% | 24 | 48% | |
| Time since the procedure was performed | |||||||||
| Until the year | 29 | 19% | 10 | 20% | 5 | 10% | 14 | 28% | 0.209 |
| 1–2 years | 42 | 28% | 12 | 24% | 16 | 32% | 14 | 28% | |
| Over 2 years | 79 | 53% | 28 | 56% | 29 | 58% | 22 | 44% | |
Notes: *The total exceeds 100%, as the item allowed for multiple choices. **Leg swelling.