Attributions of cause and recurrence in long‐term breast cancer survivors

Abstract

Healthcare providers should consider the personal beliefs of patients about cancer cause and recurrence, which may be at variance with scientific evidence. This may assist in framing the management of patients in personally meaningful ways, which may increase health behaviors, adherence, satisfaction and quality of life. Whether it will increase survival remains unknown.

Breast Cancer Survivors' Efforts to Renew and Preserve Their Health in Taiwan

“…They slept too little, experienced emotional instability and stress, and indulged in bad habits. These results were consistent with those of many studies that have attempted to understand the causes of cancer and unhealthy lifestyle or the relationship between them (Stewart et al, 2001;Mokdad et al, 2004;Olshansky et al, 2005). Many Taiwanese people influenced by Taoism's belief and practice, believe that a peace of mind' should be cultivated and a harmonious with nature life style be adjusted in order to maintain or restore health.…”

No evidence that social stress is associated with breast cancer incidence

“…With additional adjustment for parity, use of menopausal hormones (HRT), age at menarche, age at first birth, family history of breast cancer, physical activity, social class, BMI, height, and alcohol intake of specific adverse life events and the subsequent risk of breast cancer. Our findings of no association, following consideration of variations in reported 'impact' and 'stress adaptive capacity', may therefore be interpreted in a positive way, as for the first time they directly address the commonly voiced beliefs of breast cancer survivors concerning their attribution that the experience of stress is a contributory cause of their disease [2][3][4]14]. These results may contribute therefore to an evidence-based approach to (psycho-) oncology practice, through potentially increasing understanding of meaning-focused coping processes, that may lead to improved adjustment to a cancer diagnosis, and could aid strategies designed to meet the psychosocial and emotional needs of breast cancer survivors [31,32].…”

“…In consequence, based upon current evidence, perhaps 40-60% of these survivors believe that stress had caused or precipitated their breast cancer [2,4]. Of course, causal attributions are post hoc interpretations by patients of the cause of their illnesses, influenced by their strongly held beliefs and attitudes, and in consequence can impact on clinical management, adherence to advised care programmes, and adaptation to clinical prognosis [29,30].…”

“…Surveys of breast cancer survivors, and of those with no history of breast cancer, find that women commonly attribute the experience of stress as a contributory cause of this disease [2][3][4]. This view is supported by animal modelbased psychoneuroimmunological evidence concerning the effects of behavioural stress on tumorigenesis and the biological mechanisms involved [5][6][7].…”

Relationships Between Cause of Cancer and Breast Cancer-Related Factors in Breast Cancer Survivors

“…These high-risk factors may promote breast cancer development (MacMahon, 2006;Barnett et al, 2008;Ferrucci et al, 2011;Panjari et al, 2011;Turner, 2011). Other critical factors associated with breast cancer include stress, hormone therapy, genetics, environmental, diet, aging, smoking, alcohol, lack of exercise, that cause of breast cancer (Stewart et al, 2001;Wang et al, 2010;Ferrucci et al, 2011;Panjari et al, 2011). Numerous studies have shown that almost half of the women studied had abnormal BMI during the year preceding their breast cancer diagnosis (Kacem et al, 2010;Litton et al, 2011;Yaw et al, 2011).…”