Evaluation of Sleep Disturbance and Mood Status of Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

Introduction Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Radiation therapy plays a significant role in the treatment of patients with breast cancer as it reduces the relative risk of recurrence. Sleep and mood disorder have been widely reported in female patients during the treatment. The purpose of this research is to evaluate patients’ mood and its relation to their sleep quality during radiation therapy. Materials and Method The analysis was carried out on 100 female patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, and the control group consisted of 100 women attending medical imaging in Tehran. Participants’ mood situation was evaluated by POMS questionnaire, and their sleep status was checked through standard questionnaires specified for analyzing sleepiness, sleep quality and insomnia severity. Results Study results demonstrated higher overall score for mood in breast cancer patients in comparison with woman without cancer, which means worse mood status among them. (The mean score of the mood was 51.4 ± 29.25 and 39.52 ± 42.31 for cancer patients and healthy women, respectively). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between some mood subcategories such as vigor, fatigue with sleeping quality and insomnia severity. Also, the “independent T" test result showed a significant difference in the sleep quality of the two groups ( p = 0.008). Conclusion Low mood status and sleep disorders are common problems in women with breast cancer, and paying attention to their mental health as well as routine cancer treatments may significantly improve patients’ quality of life and their mood and sleep quality.