Chemo Tied to Long-Lasting Physical Health Decline for Breast Cancer Survivors

WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Breast cancer (BC) survivors who receive chemotherapy may experience greater physical health decline than those who receive endocrine therapy alone, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in JAMA Network Open.

Clara Bodelon, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study of participants in 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico between 2006 and 2013 to examine physical health decline in BC survivors who received chemotherapy or endocrine therapy compared with age-matched women without cancer. Data were included for 2,566 women diagnosed with BC and 12,826 women without cancer.

Of the women with BC, 47.7, 10.8, and 24.7 percent received endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and both, respectively. The researchers found greater physical health decline within two years of diagnosis for BC survivors receiving endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, or both (β = −1.12, −3.13, and −3.26, respectively). The decline among endocrine therapy users was only seen in women receiving aromatase inhibitors. More than two years after diagnosis, only women who received chemotherapy experienced a decline in physical health.

“Understanding the survivorship care needs and management of late effects in BC survivors is critical,” the authors write. “Continued efforts are needed to understand the specific survivorship care needs of BC survivors and improve their long-term quality of life.”

Abstract/Full Text