Characterization of breast cancer survivors regarding adverse effects and lifestyle during hormone therapy with tamoxifen

Objective: to carry out a study with women diagnosed with breast cancer and under hormone therapy with Tamoxifen (TAM) and to represent the adverse effects and the lifestyle of the patients, as well as their sociodemographic and therapeutic characteristics in a public oncology hospital of Brazil. Methodology: exploratory, descriptive and quantitative study whose population was composed of women (n = 20) under hormonal treatment. For evaluation, a questionnaire to obtain socio-demographic, therapeutic, anthropometric, lifestyle and adverse effects data was applied and the Excel and BioStat 5.0 programs were used to analyze the results. Results: Brown women between 40 and 45 years old, self-employed and commercial, income from 1 to 3 minimum wages, married and in stable union, in the pre and post-menopause, with grade II ductal carcinoma, submitted to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in treatment with TAM for 2 to 3 years, make up the profile of patients. Gynecological and vasomotor complications comprise the adverse effects that are the most troublesome such ashot flushes, irritation, itching and vaginal bleeding followed by mood changes, body weight gain, gastrointestinal intolerance, visual disturbances and to a lesser extent memory lapses, depression, lipid changes, hepatic and endometrial. Sedentary lifestyle favored overweight and obesity. Conclusion: patients in climacteric undergoing hormonal treatment with TAM, presented adverse effects suggestive of estrogen deficiency exacerbated by the use of the drug with negative variables for overweight and obesity and should be warned about the possible adverse effects of anticancer treatments, providing options for therapeutic choices that best suit the profile.