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Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes

Table 4 Patient-reported HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer physical function impact concept frequencies and descriptions reported by > 33.3% of patients

From: Understanding key symptoms, side effects, and impacts of HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer: qualitative study findings

Concept

Concept descriptiona

Frequency of patient reports N = 15 n (%)b

Associated sign, symptom, or treatment-related side effect N = 15 n(%)c

Instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs)

Ability to do housework

“I don’t want to do nothing. Eat, cook, clean, nothing. I’m just that tired and I’ll go right to sleep. And my significant other, he be like, You can’t be that tired. Because he’s accustomed to us being active. … Or like if I’m doing stuff around the house like I might – say today I got up and I was off. I might say, oh I’m going to mop, mop up the house today. I haven’t mopped in a couple of days. And I might start mopping, but I might just done one little area and I’m feeling like exhausted. Now I don’t want to mop anymore. So sometimes I have to sit down and take a rest and then finish up or sometimes I just get so aggravated with just being tired and can’t finish and just go ahead and finish up.” (01–02-F-70)

11 (73.3%)

Fatigue/tiredness

6 (40.0%)

Lymphedema

2 (13.3%)

Shortness of breath

2 (13.3%)

General pain

1 (6.7%)

Joint pain

1 (6.7%)

Memory loss

1 (6.7%)

Ability to cook

“When I’m cooking with the hands, I can’t turn, um, can openers and stuff like that, um-hum, manual can openers. That it causes me to cook less. Uh, I had a catering business at one time. So I know that I’m a very good cook but now, in the kitchen, that’s tiresome.” (01–03-F-62)

8 (53.3%)

Fatigue/tiredness

5 (33.3%)

Neuropathy

1 (6.7%)

Weakness

1 (6.7%)

Ability to shop

“And my rest of my family was helping with the other things, you know, going to the store and so forth. But like I said, it was really, really a weak, weak time in my life.” (01–02-F-70)

6 (40.0%)

Fatigue/tiredness

3 (20.0%)

Shortness of breath

2 (13.3%)

Weakness

1 (6.7%)

General physical functioning

Ability to walk

“I mean there are days I might have done – I might have walked a long distance. I don’t do that anymore. I walk a shorter distance. But as far as like my habits like gardening and planting flowers and going to the shopping center, it doesn’t – it hasn’t affected me. … After chemo and radiation, you become tireder quicker. So you don’t want to walk long distances unless you’re with someone. Even if you’re with someone you don’t want to walk long distances because you become tireder quicker.” (01–04-F-67)

11 (73.3%)

Fatigue/tiredness

5 (33.3%)

Shortness of breath

4 (26.7%)

Neuropathy

3 (20.0%)

Weakness

2 (13.3%)

Gout

1 (6.7%)

Feeling unwell

1 (6.7%)

  1. aConcept descriptions are based on aggregated quotes from the total sample
  2. bFrequency is presented as the total count for each concept reported at least once by at least one third of patients; all impacts were spontaneously reported by the patient without prior mention by the interviewer. The following physical functioning impact concepts were reported by less than one-third of patients: toileting, bathing, ability to drive, ability to lift, ability to climb stairs, ability to exercise, ability to lie down, ability to sit, ability to stand, fine motor skills, ability to bend, ability to get in and out of car, ability to move at normal pace, ability to stand from seated position, dancing, gardening, bowling, crocheting/knitting, ability to care for pets, ability to play pool, lack of interest in hobbies, and ability to sleep (Additional file: 3 Table S2)
  3. cFrequency is presented as the total count for each concept associated with a disease-related sign or symptom and/or treatment-related side effect
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