Morbidities after breast cancer treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer has a heterogeneous behavior of variable spectrum, presenting a global incidence that tends to increase. Today it is probably the most feared neoplastic disease by women due to its high frequency and its psychological effects and physical consequences, which, according to evidence, are related to morbidities associated with post treatment. Objectives: To describe the morbidity consequent to the treatment of breast cancer. Methods: This is a review that was performed through the PubMed, BIREME, Scielo and VHL databases using DeCS / MeSH descriptors. The search was carried out in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Regarding the diseases evaluated in the studies, those that evaluated the psychopathological entities were listed by their highest frequency the following: depression, fear of relapses, sleep disorders, cognitive problems, fatigue and sexual problems. Comments: The authors observed that the main symptom in the surgical procedure for breast cancer was paresthesia, caused by the injury of the intercostobrachial nerve. There has been research reporting that harmful effects are produced by systemic therapy. Chemotherapeutic agents may lead to amenorrhea and may play an important role in the development of brachial plexopathy. Studies analyzing the influence of radiotherapy have shown that it can lead to problems in the upper limb, such as: restrictions on the mobility of the arm and shoulder. Conclusion: Several morbid factors related to the treatment of breast cancer have been reported. It has been observed that any treatment can bring physical, psychological, social damages, among others.