Comparing Symptom Clusters in Recurrent Breast Cancer Survivors: A Latent Profile Analysis

Recurrent breast cancer survivors often experience diverse symptom clusters (SCs) that impact their quality of life (QOL). Identifying these SCs is essential for developing targeted interventions to improve symptom management and care. This study aimed to identify and compare SCs in recurrent breast cancer survivors with local-regional and distant recurrence. In this cross-sectional study, adult women diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer within the past 10 years completed the National Comprehensive Cancer Network-Breast Cancer Symptom Index Questionnaire-16. Latent profile analysis (LPA), guided by the Bayesian Information Criterion, identified distinct SCs based on groups of individuals with similar symptom patterns. Symptom frequency and severity were analyzed to determine the predominant symptoms for each recurrence type. This study analyzed data from 165 recurrent breast cancer survivors. Among participants with local-regional recurrence, 2 distinct SCs were identified, with sleep disturbances and worsening worry being the most prominent symptoms. By contrast, 3 SCs emerged among those with distant recurrence. While no single symptom was universally predominant, pain and sleep disturbances were consistently present in 2 of the 3 clusters for this group. This study highlights the utility of LPA in identifying distinct SCs among recurrent breast cancer survivors, linked to local-regional and distant recurrence. The findings suggest that healthcare providers should prioritize managing sleep disturbances and worsening worry in survivors with local-regional recurrence, and pain and sleep disturbances in those with distant recurrence. Addressing these SCs through personalized care strategies may improve QOL for this population.