Stability of Ego Defenses and Endocrine Responses in Women Prior to Breast Biopsy and Ten Years Later

Abstract

Thirty women with breast masses were evaluated psychologically and endocrinologically ten years ago while they were awaiting breast biopsy (3). Eight of these women proved to have benign fibrocystic disease and 22 had breast cancer. A significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation was found between extent of failure of psychological "defenses" and cortisol metabolite excretion rate in these 30 women. On follow-up, 12 women had died (11 with cancer and one who had had benign disease); 7 women were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 11, one refused to participate, leaving 10 women for follow-up study (7 who had had mastectomy for breast cancer and 3 with benign breast lesions). They were reevaluated using the same assessment techniques as 10 years before. The psychological parameters and cortisol metabolite excretion rates did not show a significant change over the span of ten years. These data support the hypothesis that these psychological parameters and cortisol metabolite excretion rates reflect relatively abiding characteristics and are not as much affected by a "psychosocial threat" as previous research has suggested.

Do core self-evaluations and coping style influence the perception of job insecurity?

“…Similarly to how CSE represent relatively stable ways of understanding the world, studies have shown that coping can be relatively stable over time, and thus reflect a coping style (e.g., Gorzynski et al, 1980). More specifically, coping style can be defined as "a repertoire of strategies available to cope with stressful encounters, specific for an individual" (Heszen-Niejodek, 1997, p. 343).…”

Effectiveness of defenses: A significant predictor of cortisol excretion under stress

“…Temporal reliability was demonstrated in a 10-year follow-up of 10 women studied by Katz, et al (1970). The follow-up produced ED ratings that correlated r = .90 with the original ratings (Gorzynski, et al, 1980). This high level of consistency was obtained despite the fact that the ratings were made by different sets of raters.…”

Psychological Processes in Breast Cancer

“…Since the 1950s, the cancer-prone personality described earlier, with its concomitant coping style of suppressed emo-Downloaded by [Deakin University Library] at 03:30 15 March 2015 tion, has been observed (LeShan, 1959;LeShan & Worthington, 1956). Longer-term survival has been correlated with the external expression of negative emotions toward one's illness and one's treating physicians, and shorter-term survival has been correlated with suppression and denial of psychological distress (Bacon, Renneker, & Cutler, 1952;Blumberg, West, & Ellis, 1954;Derogatis, Abeloff, & Melisaratos, 1979;Gorzinski et al, 1980;Rogentine, Fox, & VanKammen, 1978;Thomas, 1976;West, Blumberg, & Ellis, 1952). Some of this work, particularly that of Dcrogatis et al (1979), has been challenged because the research psycliologically assessed women at different points in time relative to diagnosis and treatment, thereby confusing responses to biological disease with the effects of treatment.…”