Objective The mental adjustment to a breast cancer diagnosis is traumatic and stressful, with wide‐ranging differences in the responses observed in Indian women. We investigated the association between demographic features and perceived social support during the adjustment of patients to breast cancer. Methods A total of 393 patients with breast cancer were included in the study. The patients were evaluated for mental adjustment to cancer and perceived social support on the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale and Multidimensional Scale of perceived social support. Regression analysis and bivariate correlation were performed to discern significant demographic features and social support in association with the adjustment to having breast cancer. Results Multiple regression analysis revealed that mental adjustment factors accounted for 43% of the variance in fighting spirit and 41% of the variance in helplessness/hopelessness. The results of the multiple regression analysis suggested that age (t = −10.27, P < 0.000) and marital status (t = 3.03, P < 0.000) were predictive of patients' fighting spirit. Age was inversely (t = 9.81, P < 0.01) associated with fighting spirit, whereas family income (t = −3.82, P < 0.000) was inversely predictive of helplessness/hopelessness. Social support from significant others was predictive of a patient's fighting spirit and fatalism mental adjustment, while support from friends was predictive of helplessness/hopelessness. Conclusion Demographic factors such as young age and high education are associated with good mental adjustment to breast cancer. Perceived support from significant others may fulfill the need for the socioemotional aspects of patient support that lead to the adjustment to a breast cancer diagnosis in patients.

No abstract

No abstract

Background: The incidence of breast cancer has more than doubled in South Korea since 1999. Breast cancer in the family affects other members such as first degree relatives. Alexithymia is a psychological construct related to an inability to express ones feelings and has been found to be useful in identifying individuals who might benefit from targeted counseling to address distress. Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of alexithymia in breast cancer patients, their sisters and healthy controls in South Korea with the aim of identifying individuals who will benefit from targeted counseling. Methods: The Korean version of the alexithymia questionnaire was used to compare the groups. The study group consisted of 98 breast cancer in-patients, out-patients, follow-up cases and lymphedema clinic attendees undergoing treatment at the Breast Care Center, Seoul National University Cancer Hospital, 50 sisters and 43 healthy controls. Results: The highest level of alexithymia was reported in patients, followed by their siblings. Healthy controls reported the lowest level of alexithymia. Difficulty in describing feeling scores has shown significant negative correlation with age and marital status among women with breast cancer. Women 51 years and above and married women have lower scores than those below 50 years aged women and those who are single, in a live-in relationship, widowed or divorced. No such significant correlation was observed among siblings and control group. The intensity of cancer was a significant predictor of the alexithymia score. Patients with T4 stage disease reported the highest levels of alexithymia. No significant differences were found among patients with lower staging. Conclusion: Not only breast cancer patients, but also their sisters show significantly more alexithymia than their healthy counterparts. Counselors can use the alexithymia questionnaire to identify persons who require support to prevent or reduce psychological problems in patients and siblings.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Indian women with an annual incidence of 144,937 cases and mortality of 70,218. The perception of cancer risk has consistently been mentioned as major factor influencing the women, who are at increased risk of inherited breast and ovarian cancer. The overestimation of cancer risk has been associated with many negative outcomes like anxiety and distress for one's self and family. Study suggests that women those who have higher perceived breast cancer risk experience greater worry and disengage coping. Aim: The purpose of the study was to examine the perception of risk of breast cancer in sisters of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and further examine the association with anxiety and alexithymia, as compared with healthy controls without a family history of breast cancer. Methods: The participants were requested to complete questionnaires including demographic and risk perception of breast cancer. The association of risk perception was evaluated by using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale and Toronto Alexithymia Scale in sisters of breast cancer patients and healthy controls. Results: Sisters of 111 breast cancer patients and 123 healthy controls completed the questionnaire. Sisters with high perceived risk showed high scores on anxiety and alexithymia scale as compared with healthy control. Regression analysis showed significant association between perceived risk and anxiety (t=2.023, P < .05) and alexithymia factor difficulty in identifying feelings and total alexithymia score (t=6.787, P < .000 and 3.726, P < .000). Conclusion: Sisters of breast cancer patients showed significantly higher perceived risk, anxiety and alexithymia than their healthy counterparts. The sister's perception of breast cancer risk influences the anxiety and emotional experience. Our data emphasizes that medical professional should discuss risk appraisals to anxiety and emotional concerns in both breast cancer patients and their sisters to help them in coping with breast cancer and concerns in the family.