We suggest that the ovaries removed from ovarian cancer-prone individuals as a preventative measure should be thoroughly examined histologically to identify or rule out microscopic or near-microscopic invasive neoplasms.

This study compared the efficacy of 2 psychological interventions, a coping and communication-enhancing intervention (CCI) and supportive counseling (SC), in reducing depressive symptoms and cancer-specific distress of women diagnosed with gynecological cancer. Demographic, medical, and psychological moderators of intervention effects were evaluated. Three hundred fifty-three women with gynecological cancer were randomly assigned to 7 sessions of CCI, 7 sessions of SC, or usual care. Intent-to-treat growth curve analyses indicated that participants assigned to CCI and SC reported lower depressive symptoms than participants assigned to usual care at the 6- and 9-month follow-ups. Women with greater than average increases in physician-rated physical symptoms and/or women who were more expressive of positive emotions benefited more from SC than women with lower than average increases in symptom scores and/or women who were less expressive of positive emotions. These findings suggest that both interventions may be effective in treating depressive symptoms among patients with gynecological cancer. Future research should evaluate whether bolstering both psychological interventions with additional intervention sessions and topics in the disease trajectory will result in persistent long-term effects.

Although research has indicated that illness-related and interpersonal stress are associated with greater psychological distress among cancer patients, little empirical attention has been given to mechanisms that account for these relationships. In the present study, 2 mechanisms for the association between illness-related stress (physical impairment) and interpersonal stress (family and friend unsupportive responses) and psychological distress of 143 ovarian cancer patients were examined cross-sectionally. Separate structural equation models tested whether physical impairment impacted patients' distress via decrements in perceived control over their illness and whether unsupportive behaviors impacted patients' distress via decrements in patients' self-esteem. Results supported the proposed models and suggest that perceived control and self-esteem are 2 mechanisms for explaining how illness-related and interpersonal stress may be associated with psychological distress among women with ovarian cancer.

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Objective This cross sectional study aimed to characterize fears of recurrence among women newly diagnosed with gynecologic cancer. The study also evaluated models predicting the impact of recurrence fears on psychological distress through social and cognitive variables. Methods Women (N = 150) who participated in a randomized clinical trial comparing a coping and communication intervention to a supportive counseling intervention to usual care completed baseline surveys that were utilized for the study. The survey included the Concerns about Recurrence Scale (CARS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Impact of Event Scale (IES), and measures of social (holding back from sharing concerns and negative responses from family and friends) and cognitive (positive reappraisal, efficacy appraisal, and self-esteem appraisal) variables. Medical data was obtained via medical chart review. Results Moderate-to-high levels of recurrence fears were reported by 47% of the women. Younger age (p < .01) and functional impairment (p < .01) correlated with greater recurrence fears. A social-cognitive model of fear of recurrence and psychological distress was supported. Mediation analyses indicated that as a set, the social and cognitive variables mediated the association between fear of recurrence and both depression and cancer-specific distress. Holding back and self-esteem showed the strongest mediating effects. Conclusion Fears of recurrence are prevalent among women newly diagnosed with gynecologic cancer. Social and cognitive factors play a role in women’s adaptation to fears and impact overall psychological adjustment. These factors may be appropriate targets for intervention.