Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors Treated With Modified Radical Mastectomy: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-BR42 Questionnaire.

Introduction In India, breast cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages, leading to a high proportion of patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy (MRM) as the primary surgical treatment. While effective, MRM is associated with significant long-term physical and psychosocial morbidity. This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer survivors treated with MRM in a tertiary care center, utilizing the updated European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-BR42 questionnaire. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Employees' State Insurance Corporation Medical College (ESIC MC) and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (PGIMSR), Bengaluru, from September 2024 to June 2025. A consecutive sample of 300 female breast cancer survivors who had undergone MRM and completed adjuvant therapy was recruited. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews using EORTC QLQ-BR42 modules. QoL scores were calculated and transformed to a 0-100 scale. Group comparisons were performed using independent t-tests and ANOVA to assess differences in QoL between patients who received single modality (adjuvant chemotherapy alone) and those who received dual modality (adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy). Results A total of 300 participants were included, with a mean age of 52.4 ± 10.6 years. All had undergone MRM, with 66% (n = 198) receiving dual modality and 34% (n = 102) receiving single modality treatment. The study found high mean linearized scores for body image satisfaction (79.77 ± 8.99) and breast satisfaction (70.00 ± 8.50). However, the future perspective domain was moderately affected (62.00 ± 15.00). Symptom domains showed that breast symptoms (55.68 ± 24.90) and arm symptoms (24.77 ± 10.20) had the highest symptom burden. Sexual health was the most severely impaired aspect, with a mean score of 1.67 for sexual functioning and 0.00 for sexual enjoyment. No statistically significant differences in any QoL domain were observed between the single modality and dual modality treatment groups. Conclusions Our study suggests that breast cancer survivors treated with MRM in this cohort report a high degree of satisfaction with their body image but suffer from significant physical symptoms and severely impaired sexual health. The addition of radiotherapy does not appear to significantly impact long-term QoL. The study underscores the need for comprehensive, culturally sensitive, and resource-appropriate supportive care, particularly focusing on sexual health and symptom management, to improve the holistic well-being of these survivors.