Self-Care Behaviour of Patients With Breast Cancer in the Management of Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Aim The breast is the leading site of cancer among females. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment of breast cancer and it results in multiple side effects. Apart from pharmacological management, self-care behaviors may significantly influence the management of these side effects. The study aimed to assess the self-care behavior of patients with breast cancer in the management of side effects of chemotherapy. Methods A longitudinal descriptive study was conducted at the Daycare chemotherapy unit of the Radio Therapy Department, Government Medical College Hospital Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. In total, 170 female patients with breast cancer receiving their first cycle of chemotherapy participated in the study. Self-care behavior was the primary outcome variable of the study. Sociodemographic and clinical data were measured by using a structured questionnaire. The severity of side effects and self-care behaviors for their management were measured by a Self Care Diary (SCD). Result A total of 170 with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy participated in the study. The severity of side effects and self-care behaviors for their management were measured at two separate time intervals, T1 and T2. Severe fatigue was found in 80.0% of participants at T1 and 61.2% at T2. Vomiting (47.7%), mucositis (48.2%), and nausea (49.1%) were also found to be severe at T1, but these side effects were moderate (53.8%, 58.8%, and 51.8% respectively) at T2. Despite the high number of self-care behaviors used to prevent infection, nausea/vomiting, bleeding, decreased appetite, sleeping difficulty, and constipation, overall self-care behaviors were found to be poor. A negative correlation was found between self-care behavior and side effects of chemotherapy. Conclusion The study revealed a negative correlation between self-care behaviors and side effects. This indicates that supportive education and training should be given to patients and caregivers to enhance the self-care behaviors of patients to manage the side effects.