Work

Specification of self-reported late-term impairments 3–7 years after primary breast cancer treatment: a nationwide cross-sectional study among Danish breast cancer survivors

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: PURPOSE: To describe the characteristics of Danish women treated for primary breast cancer, the prevalence and severity of self-reported late-term impairments, and the registration of these impairments in the Danish National Patient Registry. METHODS: This is a nationwide cross-sectional survey study. A nationwide sample of 9927 women were invited to complete a questionnaire on late-term impairments, including shoulder impairment, lymphedema, fatigue, and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. Severity was scored on validated patient-reported scales. Clinical characteristics of women and diagnostic codes for "late-term effects" were extracted from the Danish National Patient Registry. RESULTS: The response rate was 60.9%. The 6046 responders were on average 57 years old at surgery, and 53.5% had a lower education level, 62.7% were married, 56.7% had a body mass index ≥ 25, and 54.4% had one or more co-morbidities. Overall, 60.7% reported having late-term impairments from their breast cancer treatment. The most common impairments were shoulder impairment (75.3%), fatigue (56.9%), chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (49.6%), and lymphedema (26.3%). On average, 58.0% women reporting impairments scored moderate to severe disturbances on validated patient-reported scales. Despite the high self-reported rates, impairments were rarely recorded in the Danish National Patient Registry (lymphedema, 1.3%; fatigue, 0.2%; shoulder impairment, 0.1%; and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, 0.1%). CONCLUSION: More than 60% of Danish breast cancer survivors reported moderate to severe late-term impairments 3-7 years post-treatment, yet these impairments were rarely recorded in the Danish National Patient Registry. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Future research should focus on organizational structures in the Danish secondary healthcare, in relation to facilitating screening and timely detection of late-term impairments.

Source: Journal of Cancer Survivorship

DOI: 10.1007/s11764-025-01815-3

Authors: Kim Michéle Feder, Kim Gordon Ingwersen, Hans Bjarke Rahr, Heidi Klakk Egebæk, Lonny Stokholm, Marianne Djernes Lautrup