Effectiveness of a developed module in improving quality of life among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at Institut Kanser Negara

INTRODUCTION: Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Breast cancer risk has risen due to lifestyle choices and genetic factors. Women with breast cancer symptoms experience lower quality of life (QoL), particularly in psychological and physical domains, compared to healthy women. Several studies reveal that poor QoL among breast cancer patients increases the risk of psychological distress. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a counselling module in improving the QoL among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at the Institut Kanser Negara (IKN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-blinded Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial was conducted at the IKN between January 2023 and June 2023. The estimated sample size was 120 participants. A sequential numbering system assigned a unique identifier to each participant until a total of 120 participants were recruited, with 60 participants in both the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received chemotherapy counselling using a newly developed module. QoL and depression were assessed at multiple time points using a validated questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26, with independent tests and two-way repeated measures ANOVA. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant, and partial eta squared was used to measure effect size.

RESULT: Overall, in age distribution, the intervention group had the highest percentage of participants in the 41-60 years category (40.0%), whereas the control group had the highest percentage of participants aged ≥61 years (38.3%). The counselling module was effective in improving QoL and depression among participants at baseline and for three consecutive follow-ups following interventions. The QoL showed improvement in all four domains in the intervention group, which were Physical Health (p < 0.001), Psychological (p < 0.001), Social Relationship (p < 0.001), and Environment (p = 0.001). There was also a moderate effect reduction on depression (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The newly developed counselling module was effective in improving the QoL and depression among breast cancer patients. Repetitive counselling sessions by pharmacists, which were conducted during the module implementation, played a key role in ensuring the well-being of breast cancer patients throughout the treatment journey.