Psychological Profile in Patients with Stages I and II Breast Cancer: Associations of Psychological Profile with Tumor Biological Prognosticators

Abstract

We have earlier shown that breast cancer patients with moderately or well differentiated tumors seem to be able to inhibit stress evoked from anger in a successful manner, while those with poorer prognosis do not. We now report a study with an enlarged group of patients, investigating associations between tumor biological factors and psychological profile. 129 patients with Stages I and II breast cancer undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy were interviewed and tested with three projective personality tests assessing attitude to aggression and coping with stress and anxiety. Creative functioning was also tested. Patients with Stage I (smaller) tumors reported a "fighting spirit" attitude toward the disease, but they also showed depressive reaction patterns. Moreover, if the patient could successfully avoid or inhibit the stress evoked from perceiving an aggressive motif in the picture shown in the aggression test, the tumor biological situation was better. Patients who did not inhibit stress reactions on the aggression test and also on the anxiety test had a poorer tumor biological situation. Surprisingly, low speed of tumor cell proliferation (DNA S-phase fraction) correlated with high scores on the creativity test. Successful denial or inhibition of stress evoked by aggression combined with a creative, flexible attitude was associated with a better tumor biological situation.

Illness Denial in Medical Disorders: A Systematic Review

“…Several studies have been performed to evaluate the impact of illness denial on clinical outcomes and recovery in patients with various forms of cancer [151,[158][159][160][161][162][163][164][165][166][167][168][169][170][171][172][173]. Greer et al [161] conducted a prospective study involving consecutive patients with early breast cancer to examine whether particular coping responses affected long-term prognosis.…”

Depression and anxiety in women with breast cancer in Erbil city: a case-control study

“…Studies conducted with cancer patients indicated mixed results as to the association between the severity of the disease and its contribution to depression 5, 18 and anxiety 19, 20 . Burgess et al revealed that psychological interventions that take account of the broader social context in which cancer occurs, including interventions to improve social support may limit chronic depression and/or anxiety .…”

Circadian disruption in women with breast cancer.

“…Studies have observed associations between advanced stage and both increased use of avoidant coping (Sandgren & McCaul, 2007) and decreased use of avoidant coping (Reynolds et al, 2000). Earlier stage has been associated with an elevated "fighting spirit" orientation to the disease (Lilja, 2003; and more problemfocused coping strategies (Cohen, 2002). Horowitz and Wilner (1979, p. 210) characterized avoidance as involving "ideational constriction, denial of meanings and consequences of the event, blunted sensation, behavioral inhibition or counter-phobic activity, and awareness of emotional numbness."…”