Sleep quality and risk of obstructive sleep apnea among breast cancer survivors with and without lymphedema.

Purpose: Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) tend to have sleep disturbances such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, limited evidence exists on the role of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) in sleep disturbances and OSA. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the quality of sleep (QoS) and OSA risk among women with and without BCRL.
Methods: The quality of life (QoL) was evaluated using the SF-12 and EORTC-QLQ C-30 questionnaires, while their sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. The STOP-bang questionnaire (SBQ) was utilized to quantify OSA risk. Sleepiness was assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Also, neck and waist circumference and the excessive volume in the affected limb were measured using a tape measure. The statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 21.0 software.
Results: Seventy-one women with BCRL and 84 BCS without lymphedema were included. The comparison of PSQI, SBQ, ESS, SF-12, and EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaires exhibited no significant difference between these two groups. The overnight snoring and average neck circumference were significantly higher in the BCRL group than in the control. The BCRL stage significantly correlated with neck circumference and SBQ total score. Additionally, the mean volume difference indicated a significant correlation with the ESS total score and both physical and mental summary components of the SF-12 questionnaire.
Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep disturbances among BCSs with and without BCRL is high. Women with advanced stages of BCRL might be at high risk for OSA. Therefore clinical evaluation of BMI, neck circumference, and, snoring overnight should be emphasized among this population.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Motamed Cancer Institute (MCI ID 4021721) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Conflict of interest: All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)