Traumatic distress symptoms in early breast cancer. II: Outcome six weeks post surgery

✍ Scribed by Lars Tjemsland; Jon Arne Søreide; Ulrik Fredrik Malt

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 706 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1057-9249
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1611(199612)5:4<295::aid-pon234>3.0.co;2-9

✦ Synopsis

One hundred and six consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer were studied before and after surgery with a clinical psychiatric interview and questionnaires (Impact of Event Scale, General Health Questionnaire and Clinical Global Impression scale). The traumatic stress response after six weeks was related to sociodemographic factors, premorbid health problems, negative life events and clinical-oncological parameters.

Symptoms of traumatic distress were significantly reduced post-surgery compared to acutely, and most so among patients with no premorbid health problems and negative life events according to pre-surgery interview and selfreport data. Eighteen percent of the patients reported a high level (>19) of intrusive symptoms and 14%, avoidance symptoms. Patients with premorbid impairment in work, family and social functioning and patients who during the last year had experienced the death of a close relative or a serious illness other than cancer showed the greatest distress. Previous consultations for nervous problems, age, marital status, stage of disease, type of surgery (breastconserving versus mastectomy) and adjuvant cytostatic treatment did not influence the traumaticstress response six weeks after surgery. The level of acute posttraumatic stress response to breast cancer surgery seems best predicted by premorbid variables.