Quality of Life of Caregivers of Recently Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Background: The diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) is distressing for the patient and their family members. Caregiving affects the quality of life (QoL) of the primary caregiver. Here, we present the impact of caregiving on the QoL of caregivers of recently diagnosed female BC patients. Materials and Methods: A purposive sampling technique was used to enroll the caregivers of all newly diagnosed BC patients in February–April 2023. The Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOLC) Scale was used which has four distinct domains of financial concerns, burden, disruptiveness, and positive adaptation. For all items and domains, the higher the score, the worse the QoL. Results: The average CQOLC score of 200 primary caregivers was 57.5 (interquartile range = 42, 73). There was a significant difference in the mean QoL scores between parents and all other caregivers ( P < 0.05). Almost 2–3 out of 10 caregivers had financial concerns at the time of diagnosis ( P < 0.001). This increased their caregiving burden and disrupted other aspects of their life ( P < 0.05). Most of the caregivers (56.5%) were identified as the patients’ children. Conclusion: Our study reveals that nearly half of BC caregivers experience a significant decline in their QoL at the time of diagnosis. This emphasizes the critical need for early-phase counseling for BC caregivers to prepare them for the caregiving journey and mitigate any detrimental impact on their QoL.