Objectives To analyse the association between occupational performance and women’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during breast cancer treatment.

Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire and its specific breast cancer-specific module (BR-23). The association between occupational performance scores and the HRQoL domains was evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis.

Results The sample included 97 women. Overall, occupational performance was poor and the women’s dissatisfaction with their performance resulted in a decrease in HRQoL. Following adjustment, satisfaction was associated with HRQoL in the global health status, functional, role, emotional and social functioning domains of the functional scale. In BR-23, a statistically significant association was found between satisfaction and HRQoL in the functional scale and in the body image domain.

Conclusions Women’s occupational performance was impaired during breast cancer treatment, with limitations and/or restrictions in activities related to self-care, productivity and leisure that were ultimately associated with poorer HRQoL. During cancer treatment, rehabilitation strategies should focus on restoring occupational performance to levels as close as possible to that present prior to the beginning of the disease process, enabling the woman to preserve her occupational life, consequently resulting in an improvement in HRQoL.