Emotional Functioning as a Dimension of Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

TL;DR

This study finds that emotional functioning in breast cancer survivors improves initially after surgery but declines over time, with different patterns based on age and type of surgery.

Contribution

The study identifies an inverted-U trajectory of emotional functioning and shows how surgical modality and age moderate these patterns.

Findings

Emotional functioning improves initially after surgery but declines by 60 months, following an inverted-U trajectory.

Breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy show similar inverted-U patterns, while mastectomy with reconstruction maintains stable emotional functioning.

Younger and middle-aged survivors experience early gains in emotional functioning followed by decline.

Abstract

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined the long-term trajectories of Emotional Functioning (EF)—a core dimension of quality of life (QoL)—in breast cancer (BC) survivors following surgery. We synthesized data from 40 studies published between 2000 and 2024, comprising 116 observations of EF measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30. The analysis revealed a significant inverted-U trajectory in EF, showing an initial improvement during the first 24–30 months after surgery, followed by a gradual decline toward baseline levels by 60 months. Surgical modality significantly shaped these trajectories: breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy (MA) produced similar inverted-U patterns, whereas mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (Mx + IR) sustained stable EF over time. Age further influenced trajectories, with younger and middle-aged survivors experiencing early gains but subsequent declines. Findings underscore the dynamic nature of EF and highlight the need for sustained psychosocial support, particularly for middle-aged women and those undergoing mastectomy, to promote long-term emotional well-being.

Background: As survival rates among breast cancer (BC) patients continue to rise, Emotional Functioning (EF)—has become increasingly clinically relevant; however, researchers have yet to fully characterize its long-term, dynamic trajectories following surgery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to (1) characterize the longitudinal trajectories of EF after BC surgery and (2) examine the moderating effects of surgical modality and age. Methods: We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We synthesized data from studies published between 2000 and 2024 that assessed EF using the EORTC QLQ-C30 at multiple post-surgical time points. Using multilevel random-effects meta-analytic models, we examined EF trajectories across 116 effect sizes derived from 40 studies, and evaluated time, surgical modality (breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy (MA), mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (Mx + IR) and age group as moderators. Results: The overall pooled estimate for EF was 73.44 (95% CI: 70.29–76.58, p < 0.001). Time since surgery significantly influenced EF: scores were lowest during the initial 6 months (66.82, 95% CI: 59.75–73.89), peaked at 7–15 months (77.86, 95% CI: 74.51–81.22) and 31–54 months (77.52, 95% CI: 70.44–84.59), and showed lower values at 16–30 months (72.58, 95% CI: 61.45–83.72) and 55–72 months (69.81, 95% CI: 64.08–75.54). Surgical modality significantly shaped these trajectories (p = 0.013). The overall pooled estimate for EF was 73.44 (95% CI: 70.29–76.58, p < 0.001). Time since surgery significantly influenced EF: scores were lowest during the initial 6 months (66.82, 95% CI: 59.75–73.89), peaked at 7–15 months (77.86, 95% CI: 74.51–81.22) and 31–54 months (77.52, 95% CI: 70.44–84.59), and showed lower values at 16–30 months (72.58, 95% CI: 61.45–83.72) and 55–72 months (69.81, 95% CI: 64.08–75.54). Surgical modality significantly shaped these trajectories (p = 0.013). The BCS group showed a significant inverted-U trajectory in EF scores, with a positive linear slope (β = 1.22, SE = 0.50, p = 0.046) and a small negative quadratic term (β = −0.02, SE = 0.01, p = 0.046), indicating initial improvement followed by decline. A similar pattern was observed for MA, where the linear term (β = 1.19, SE = 0.51, p = 0.054) and quadratic curvature (β = −0.02, SE = 0.01, p = 0.054) suggested an early rise with subsequent decline. In contrast, Mx + IR displayed a high intercept (β = 71.46, SE = 4.46, p < 0.001) but no significant trajectory over time (p = 0.582), indicating stability. The 45–60 year group demonstrated a significant inverted-U trajectory in EF scores, with a positive linear coefficient (β = 0.87, SE = 0.38, p = 0.067) and a negative quadratic coefficient (β = −0.01, SE = 0.01, p = 0.067), suggesting an early rise in emotional functioning followed by a subsequent decline. Participants <45 years also showed a significant inverted-U pattern, starting from a moderately high baseline (β = 67.56, SE = 4.26, p < 0.001) with a positive linear slope (β = 0.82, SE = 0.34, p = 0.051) and a negative quadratic curvature (β = −0.01, SE = 0.01, p = 0.051). In contrast, the >60 year group reported the highest baseline scores (β = 75.60, SE = 5.18, p < 0.001) with no significant trajectory, indicating overall stability. These findings confirm that EF follows a significant inverted-U trajectory (p < 0.001) and is influenced by time, surgical modality, and age.

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