OBJECTIVES: Breast cancers patients’ (BCaPs) quality of life (QoL) are affected by the disease and treatment interventions. Dearth of information on BCaPs’ QoL and its predictors have attracted concerns. This study evaluated QoL and its predictors of BCaPs accessing care at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

METHODS: Structured questionnaire adapted from previous study was interviewer-administered to 102 eligible BCaPs to obtain their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. BCaPs’ QoL were evaluated using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Core Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTIC QLQ-C30) and EORTC QLQ and breast cancer specific module (BR23) questionnaire (EORTC-questionnaire Permission Request ID: 80030). Data analyses used EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23 scoring manuals’ procedures. Mean scores (MS) for QoL were classified as low: ≤ 33; moderate: < 66; high: ≥ 66. Further inferential data analyses involved Kruskal-Wallis test and multiple linear regression. Statistically significant level was p < 0.05. An institutional Ethical Review Committee approved this study (Reference number: ERCPAN/2022/02/0245).

RESULTS: Global health status’ MS was 37.4 (SD = 26.1). All the functional scales’ (FSs) MSs (EORTC QLQ-C30-based evaluation) were moderate (<66). Role functioning had least MS (33.5 [SD = 37.1]). Conversely, MSs for symptoms scales (SSs) ranged low to high level of symptomatology. The most disturbing symptom was fatigue (70.3 [SD = 31.1). Regarding EORTC QLQ-BR23-based evaluation, MSs for FSs and SSs were low to moderate. Sexual functioning had least MS (14.1 [SD = 33.6]) while upset by hair loss had worst level of symptomatology. Income, age, and body surface area (BSA) were predictors of low level of future perspective (p=0.022), moderate level of physical functioning (p=0.036) and social functioning (p=0.041) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: BCaPs had moderate QoL. Predictors of BCaPs’s QoL included income, age and BSA. Government and non-governmental organizations should initiate relevant intervention programmes aimed at predicting factors.