Background. Over the last 20 years contradictory results were obtained as regards to the role of psychosocial factors in favouring the onset of breast cancer and/or in influencing disease progression. Methods. The present study prospectively investigated the association between psychosocial variables and breast cancer in ninety-five out-patients. Within three months from the diagnosis the patients completed a series of questionnaires to evaluate psychological disturbances, emotional repression, adjustment to cancer, social support and occurrence of life events in the previous five years. At a distance of six years from the first assessment, the patients’ charts were re-analyzed in order to evaluate the course of cancer. Results. A higher volume of primary tumour at surgery was shown in patients who had had stressful events in the six months preceding cancer diagnosis. At follow-up, no relationship was found between psychosocial variables and the course of disease. The analysis of the frequency of relapses and deaths, and the survival analysis indicated that positivity of loco-regional lymph nodes, infiltrating histotype of the tumor and tumour stage were the only significant predictors of the time of death. Conclusions. The study suggests that clinical and biological, rather than psychsocial factors exert a major role in breast cancer progression.
Psychosocial factors and breast cancer: A 6-year Italian follow-up study
GRASSI, Luigi
1997
Abstract
Background. Over the last 20 years contradictory results were obtained as regards to the role of psychosocial factors in favouring the onset of breast cancer and/or in influencing disease progression. Methods. The present study prospectively investigated the association between psychosocial variables and breast cancer in ninety-five out-patients. Within three months from the diagnosis the patients completed a series of questionnaires to evaluate psychological disturbances, emotional repression, adjustment to cancer, social support and occurrence of life events in the previous five years. At a distance of six years from the first assessment, the patients’ charts were re-analyzed in order to evaluate the course of cancer. Results. A higher volume of primary tumour at surgery was shown in patients who had had stressful events in the six months preceding cancer diagnosis. At follow-up, no relationship was found between psychosocial variables and the course of disease. The analysis of the frequency of relapses and deaths, and the survival analysis indicated that positivity of loco-regional lymph nodes, infiltrating histotype of the tumor and tumour stage were the only significant predictors of the time of death. Conclusions. The study suggests that clinical and biological, rather than psychsocial factors exert a major role in breast cancer progression.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
