Quality of Life and Associated Clinical Factors Among Breast Cancer Patients in Malaysia Public Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome in breast cancer management. Evidence on QoL among Malaysian breast cancer patients remains inconsistent due to differences in cultural norms, treatments, and survivorship. This study aimed to determine the QoL of breast cancer patients and its association with cancer stage, cancer side, and treatment type. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2023 and July 2024 among Malaysian breast cancer patients receiving treatment at the public hospitals. Ethical approval was obtained prior to data collection (NMRR ID-21-02047-QRK (IIR)). Quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Breast (FACT-B) questionnaire through face-to-face and online data collection. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and one-way ANOVA were used for analysis, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Sixty-three participants involved, with a mean (SD) age of 50.68 (8.35) years. The mean (SD) total FACT-B score was 82.57 (15.39) from140, higher scores indicating better QoL. No significant association was found between cancer sides and QoL domains (χ², p= 0.28). QoL differed significantly across cancer stages (F (3, 59) = 4.322, p= 0.01), whereas no significant differences were found compared to cancer sides (p= 0.64) or treatment types (p= 0.88). Conclusion: These findings suggest that supportive care and rehabilitation should be tailored according to disease stage to improve patient outcomes and optimize quality of life across cancer care.