O diagnóstico de câncer é uma experiência traumática que pode precipitar sintomas do Transtorno de Estresse Pós Traumático TEPT. São poucos os estudos que avaliaram a prevalência e o impacto do TEPT na qualidade de vida de mulheres com câncer de mama, antes do início dos tratamentos. Este trabalho teve como objetivos estimar a prevalência e o impacto dos sintomas do TEPT Agudo na qualidade de vida de mulheres recém diagnosticadas com câncer de mama, investigando as variáveis sócio-demográficas e clínicas associadas ao TEPT. Foi realizado um estudo do tipo corte transversal no Centro de Referência da Saúde da Mulher Hospital Pérola Byington. Os sintomas de TEPT foram avaliados com a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist- Civilian Version, os sintomas de Ansiedade e Depressão com a Escala Hospitalar de Ansiedade e Depressão, e a Qualidade de Vida com o SF-36. Comparamos as variáveis sócio-demográficas e clínicas nas mulheres com TEPT, TEPT Subsindrômico e sem TEPT. Foi feita uma análise de co-variância, com comparação pos-hoc pelo método de Tukey, para avaliar o impacto do TEPT sobre a qualidade de vida. Identificamos que 81% das mulheres apresentaram ao menos um sintoma de estresse pós-traumático clinicamente significativo, 17,9% tinham sintomas de TEPT e 24,5% de TEPT subsindrômico. As características sóciodemográficas e estadiamento do câncer não estavam associadas ao TEPT. História de tratamentos psiquiátricos mostrou uma tendência de associação (p<0,056), enquanto os escores das escalas de ansiedade e depressão estavam significativamente associados ao TEPT (p<0,001). Pacientes com TEPT tinham prevalência de Ansiedade seis vezes maior (Razão de Prevalência - RP = 6,56), e de Depressão quatorze vezes maior (RP = 14,41), do que as pacientes sem TEPT. As mulheres com TEPT e TEPT subsindrômico apresentaram os piores escores em todos os domínios da qualidade de vida, comparadas àquelas sem TEPT, mesmo controlando para a influência das variáveis sócio-demográficas e clínicas. Os domínios Capacidade Funcional e Aspecto Social estavam significativamente reduzidos nas mulheres com TEPT e com TEPT subsindrômico comparados ao grupo sem TEPT (p < 0,05) quando adicionamos no modelo os sintomas de ansiedade e depressão. Os sintomas de TEPT foram prevalentes e repercutiram negativamente na qualidade de vidas das mulheres recém diagnosticadas com câncer de mama, sugerindo que a avaliação destes sintomas nessa fase da doença é importante, pelas possibilidades de intervenção precoce.

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer is a traumatic experience which may trigger Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD. To date, few studies have assessed the prevalence and impact of PTSD on the quality of life in women with breast cancer prior to commencement of treatment. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence and impact of Acute PTSD symptoms on the quality of life in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, while investigating the socio-demographic and clinical variables associated to PTSD. A transversal, cross-sectional type study was conducted at a Reference Center for Womens Health Byington Pérola Hospital. The PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version, the Anxiety and Depression symptoms were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, while Quality of Life was evaluated by the SF-36 questionnaire. The socio-demographic and clinical variables of the women with PTSD, Subsyndromal PTSD, and without PTSD were compared. Co-variance analysis was performed to assess the impact of the symptoms of PTSD on quality of life, independently from the potential effects of socio-demographic and clinical variables or psychiatric comorbidities, followed by Tukeys post-hoc comparison. We found a high prevalence of clinically significant post-traumatic stress symptoms. A total of 81% of women presented at least one symptom, 17.9% were diagnosed with PTSD, and 24.5% with subsyndromal PTSD. The sociodemographic characteristics and clinical staging of cancer were not associated with PTSD. Prior history of treatment and consultations for psychiatric problems presented a tendency toward association (p<0.056), while scores on the anxiety and depression scales were significantly associated with PTSD (p<0.001). We identified high comorbidity among PTSD, Anxiety and Depression. Patients with PTSD had a six-fold higher prevalence of Anxiety (Prevalence Ratio PR = 6.56), and a fourteen-fold higher rate of Depression (PR = 14.41) compared to patients without PTSD. Scores on domains of the quality of life scale were significantly lower in women with PTSD and subsyndromal PTSD. After controlling for influence of socio-demographic variables, cancer staging and psychiatric history, scores across all domains of the quality of life scale remained significantly lower in PTSD and subsyndromal PTSD groups. In the final step of the co-variance analysis, when anxiety and depression symptoms were included, the scores on the Functional Capacity and Social Aspect domains remained significantly lower in PTSD and subsyndromal PTSD groups than in the group without PTSD (p < 0.05). PTSD symptoms were prevalent and had a negative impact on the quality of life of women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, suggesting that the assessment of these symptoms during this stage of the disease is important to enable early intervention.