Low Symptom Concordance Linked to Worse Quality of Life in Breast Cancer

A cross-sectional study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment found that agreement between patients and physicians on symptoms and side effects in advanced breast cancer is generally low, and that this discordance correlates with worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Researchers used data from the Adelphi Real World Advanced Breast Cancer Disease Specific Programme, combining physician assessments with voluntary patient questionnaires. Collection ran from August 2022 to February 2023 across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the United States. In total, 298 oncologists provided data for 1,642 patients with HR+/HER2− metastatic breast cancer; 321 patients completed self-reports. Patients most often cited tiredness (85.6%) and general worry (75.9%), while physicians most frequently reported bone pain (30.3%).