Prevalence and Determinants of Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life in Patients With Breast Cancer in Saudi Arabia: A Focus on Adjuvant Pharmacotherapy.

Authors

Mahmoud S Abdallah, Ahmed R Gardouh, Zafaran Khalid Abuaeaaq, Amal Mohammad Badawoud

Published in

Cancer medicine. Volume 15. Issue 9. Pages e72288.

Abstract

While psychological distress is a well-documented concern among cancer patients, the prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety in breast cancer patients in Saudi Arabia remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate depression, anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) among patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant pharmacotherapy in Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant therapy. Data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, and the Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-C30 (QLQ-C30) for QoL assessment.
Among 246 patients, the most prevalent cancer subtype was hormone receptor-positive (65.0%), followed by human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive (13.4%), triple-negative (11.0%), and HER2/hormone receptor-positive (10.6%). Trastuzumab (20.3%) and pembrolizumab (11.0%) were the most commonly administered biological therapies, while letrozole (45.5%) and tamoxifen (22.8%) were the most used hormonal agents. Notably, 48.4% of patients received chemotherapy. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of PHQ-9 score was 12.87 ± 7.63, and the mean ± SD of GAD-7 score was 9.55 ± 5.53, with clinical significant depression and anxiety of 54.1% and 49.6%, respectively. The mean ± SD of the QLQ-C30 score was 58.84 ± 24.98. Multivariate analysis revealed that chemotherapy and the number of cycles were significantly associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Quality of life was negatively impacted by chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and the number of treatment cycles.
Depression, anxiety, and reduced QoL are prevalent among breast cancer patients undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia. Chemotherapy and endocrine therapy contribute significantly to psychological distress, and diminished QoL.

PMID:
42764238
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 21 Sep 2026.

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