Assessment of Quality of Life and Safety in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Letrozole as an Early Adjuvant Treatment

作者：Jung Yongsik; Lee Soo Jung; Lee Juneyoung; Noh Woo Chul; Nam Seok Jin; Park Byeong Woo; Bae Young Tae; Kang Sung Soo; Parks Heung Kyu; Yoon Jung Han; Kim Je Ryong; Cho Se Hun; Kim Lee Su; Moon Byung In; Jung Sung Hoo; Lim Chol Wan; Kim Sung Yong; Park Ho Yong; Song Jeongyoon; Lee Kwang Man; Park Sung Hwan; Jeong Joon; Park Hae Lin; Kim Sung Won; Kwak Beom Seok; Kang Sun Hee; Cho Young Up; Gwak Geum Hee; Park Yong Lae; Kim Sang Wook; Han Sehwan^*

来源：Journal of Breast Cancer, 2018, 21(2): 182-189.

DOI：10.4048/jbc.2018.21.2.182

• Breast neoplasms
• Letrozole
• Quality of life
• Treatment

Purpose: There are few reports from Asian countries about the long-term results of aromatase inhibitor adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. This observational study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of letrozole in postmenopausal Korean women with operable breast cancer. Methods: Self-reported quality of life (QoL) scores were serially assessed for 3 years during adjuvant letrozole treatment using the Korean version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast questionnaires (version 3). Changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and serum cholesterol levels were also examined. Results: All 897 patients received the documented informed consent form and completed a baseline questionnaire before treatment. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 684 (76.3%) subjects, and 410 (45.7%) and 396 (44.1%) patients had stage I and II breast cancer, respectively. Each patient completed questionnaires at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months after enrollment. Of 897 patients, 749 (83.5%) completed the study. The dropout rate was 16.5%. The serial trial outcome index, the sum of the physical and functional well-being subscales, increased gradually and significantly from baseline during letrozole treatment (p<0.001). The mean serum cholesterol level increased significantly from 199 to 205 after 36 months (p = 0.042). The mean BMD significantly decreased from -0.39 at baseline to -0.87 after 36 months (p<0.001). Conclusion: QoL gradually improved during letrozole treatment. BMD and serum cholesterol level changes were similar to those in Western countries, indicating that adjuvant letrozole treatment is well tolerated in Korean women, with minimal ethnic variation.