Reminders of cancer risk and pain catastrophizing: relationships with cancer worry and perceived risk in women with a first-degree relative with breast cancer

Abstract

First-degree relatives of women with breast cancer may experience increased worry or perceived risk when faced with reminders of their own cancer risk. Worry and risk reminders may include physical symptoms (e.g., persistent breast pain) and caregiving experiences. Women who engage in pain catastrophizing may be particularly likely to experience increased distress when risk reminders are present. We examined the degree to which persistent breast pain and experience as a cancer caregiver were related to cancer worry and perceived risk in first-degree relatives of women with breast cancer (N = 85) and how catastrophic thoughts about breast pain could impact these relationships. There was a significant interaction between persistent breast pain and pain catastrophizing in predicting cancer worry (p = .03); among women who engaged in pain catastrophizing, cancer worry remained high even in the absence of breast pain. Pain catastrophizing also moderated the relationships between caregiving involvement and cancer worry (p = .003) and perceived risk (p = .03). As the degree of caregiving responsibility increased, cancer worry and perceived risk increased for women who engaged in pain catastrophizing; levels of cancer worry and perceived risk remained low and stable for women who did not engage in pain catastrophizing regardless of caregiving experience. The results suggest that first-degree relatives of breast cancer survivors who engage in pain catastrophizing may experience greater cancer worry and perceived risk and may benefit from interventions aimed at reducing catastrophic thoughts about pain.

Overburden of the caregiver of cancer patients in palliative care

“…23 When mentioning the positive association of pain catastrophism with caregiver overload, pain catastrophism is a marker of pain anticipation and this can affect caregivers' perceptions about the excess and exaggeration of the painful perception and concern about their possible consequences. 24 It has been suggested, in studies, to explain the relationship between catastrophic pain and pain intensity, that these individuals showed greater fear in relation to pain than it can cause, resulting in more negative outcomes, such as more severe pain. 25 It is added that, while caregivers are expected to show support and care responses to cancer patients 'pain, caregivers may differ in their skills, resources and motives, therefore, patients' expression of pain does not necessarily result in positive and the caregiver's solicitations and can sometimes even result in negative responses.…”

Breast Cancer Perception Scale: Psychometric Development Study

“…Witnessing their loved ones difficulties and pain during the breast cancer process increases perceived breast cancer fear and perceived breast cancer risk (34,35). In their study, Whitney et al (36) reported that women with high perceived risk also have a higher perceived risk for breast cancer.…”

Assessing the clinical utility of genetic risk scores for targeted cancer screening

“…Questionnaires were sent to participants in the format of their choosing: via email using REDCap software, or via postal mail. The questionnaires used were similar to those previously used to collect data on worry about cancer risk and diagnosis, including the US Health Information National Trends Survey (US HINTS), Lerman's Cancer Worry Scale and the Cancer Worry Scale for Genetic Counseling [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Cancer screening-related health information was also collected throughout the follow up period of 18-42 months (data not reported).…”