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SUMMARY
General QoL, emotional and social functioning are impaired at
baseline, but improve during the first 6 months after treatment to reach
a level comparable to the reference population, while cognitive
functioning remains impaired.
Both social and role functioning show lowest scores at baseline, that
increase after treatment to reach a plateau at 6 months, but declines
slightly at 3 and 4 years.
The overall symptom experience is elevated at baseline and decreases
to a level within the range of the reference population.
Similarly, tumor-related symptoms (e.g. pain, appetite loss and
constipation), which are present before treatment, decrease
substantially at the first follow-up after treatment.
Several treatment-related symptoms develop either immediately and
persist over time (diarrhea, menopausal symptoms, peripheral
neuropathy and sexual functioning problems) or develop gradually after
treatment (lymph edema and dyspnea).