Population survey on breast cancer
Through the population-based health survey, the health and quality of life of women both with and without breast cancer will be mapped. In this way, we gain knowledge about how common the various late effects are, and who is affected, for example based on what treatment they have received.
It can be difficult to live with late effects after cancer treatment, and it is important for this patient group that we get an overview of the burden and duration of late effects and how these affect quality of life. We use validated questionnaires, mainly from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23).
Women who have received their diagnosis after 01.01.2020 are invited to participate, and the first questionnaires were sent out in mid-September 2020.
Over 3,000 new cases each year
Every year, approximately 3500 women get breast cancer, and approximately 350 get a precursor to breast cancer (DCIS) that is treated (Cancer Registry, 2019).
9 out of 10 live more than 5 years after their treatment, and in 2019 there were 23,198 women who were alive more than 10 years after their breast cancer diagnosis, according to figures from the report Cancer in Norway 2019.
Depending on the size and type of tumour, the treatment of breast cancer may consist of several methods, and many people receive both surgery and radiotherapy, for example.
After treatment, patients may experience symptoms such as fatigue (persistent and recurrent fatigue), lymphedema (swelling of the arms/hands after removal of lymph nodes), sexual problems and psychological repercussions.
