Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of the patients treated for breast cancer.
| Variable | n (%) |
|---|---|
| How long have you had breast cancer? | |
| 1–2 years | 106 (52.4%) |
| 2–5 years | 46 (22.8%) |
| Over 5 years | 50 (24.8%) |
| How were you diagnosed with breast cancer? | |
| I detected it myself | 107 (53.0%) |
| During a doctor’s visit | 43 (21.3%) |
| After a screening mammogram | 52 (25.7%) |
| Do you have any of the following chronic diseases? | |
| Diabetes | 29 (14.4%) |
| Hypertension | 58 (28.7%) |
| Renal failure | 5 (2.5%) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 12 (5.9%) |
| Asthma/COPD | 4 (2.0%) |
| No | 122 (60.4%) |
| Were you diagnosed with metastases? If so, to what organs? | |
| No | 107 (53.0%) |
| Yes, to the lymph nodes | 64 (31.7%) |
| Yes, to the bones | 4 (2.0%) |
| Yes, to the brain | 1 (0.5%) |
| Yes, to the liver | 4 (2.0%) |
| Yes, to other organs | 22 (9.2%) |
| Which of the following types of treatment did you undergo? | |
| Surgery | 202 (100%) |
| Chemotherapy | 140 (69.3%) |
| Radiotherapy | 113 (55.9%) |
| Hormone therapy | 79 (39.1%) |
| Which of the following cancer-related complaints do you find most troublesome? | |
| Pain | 95 (47.0%) |
| Arm swelling after axillary lymphadenectomy | 62 (30.7%) |
| Hair loss | 75 (37.1%) |
| Low mood | 117 (57.9%) |
| Other (restlessness, fatigue, nausea and vomiting) | 10 (5.0%) |
| Tumour size (T): | |
| Tx | 4 (2.0%) |
| T1 | 78 (38.6%) |
| T2 | 102 (50.5%) |
| T3 | 16 (7.9%) |
| T4 | 2 (1.0%) |
| Lymph node involvement (N): | |
| N0 | 117 (57.9%) |
| N1 | 72 (35.6%) |
| N2 | 9 (4.5%) |
| N3 | 1 (0.5%) |
| Nx | 3 (1.5%) |
| Distant metastasis (M): | |
| M0 | 148 (73.3%) |
| M1 | 3 (1.5%) |
| M2 | 1 (0.5%) |
| Mx | 50 (24.8%) |
%—percentage.