Investigating the relationship between hope and social support with quality of life in women with breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment provoke significant negative emotional changes, and responses can disrupt the quality of life.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hope and perceived support with quality of life in women with breast cancer.Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study, 220 breast cancer patients were included.The patients completed four questionnaires of demographic-illness characteristics, quality of life (SF12), hope, and perceived social support by self-report method.SPSS version 24 software was used for data analysis.Results: The mean age of cases was 41.44 years, and most were married.The mean (standard deviation) scores for total hope, perceived social support, and quality of life were 38.45 (6.15), 58.97 (16.84), and 47.99 (10.62), respectively.The results of the regression model indicated that 31.2% of the variation in quality of life was dependent on four variables, including social support, hope, employment status, and duration since diagnosis (R2adj = 0.388, P < 0.001), and social support had the highest impact ( = 0.464, P = 0.002).Conclusion: When patients perceive higher levels of hope and social support, their quality of life improves significantly.As a result, their ability to cope with the pressures and stresses of treatment and their acceptance of the prescribed therapies also increase.Therefore, it is advised to organize appropriate educational programs for these patients to enhance their quality of life, foster hope, and ensure they receive adequate social support.