Emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being during the wait for breast biopsy results

Abstract

The experience of waiting for breast biopsy results can cause clinically significant levels of psychological distress. Objective: This study is a replication and extension of previous work examining the well-being of patients at a breast biopsy appointment (Sweeny, Christianson, and McNeill, 2019). Expanding on the previous study, we aim to identify predictors of well-being following the appointment (i.e., waiting for results). Design: In this longitudinal study, female patients (N = 197) were surveyed at their breast biopsy appointments and then completed daily surveys assessing distress and coping during the week-long wait for results. Main Outcome Measures: Surveys asked about patient characteristics, subjective health, cancer history, support availability, outcome expectations, and distress. Results/Conclusions: Consistent with the previous study, health history and demographic factors were largely unassociated with distress, this time while waiting for biopsy results. New to this study, Latina ethnicity and being in a committed relationship emerged as predictors of coping, pointing to opportunities for clinical intervention for patients who do not have these characteristics. Finally, anxiety was highest at the beginning and end of the wait for biopsy results, suggesting that interventions may be most effective following a breast biopsy and the days prior to learning one's result.