The ‘cause’ of my cancer, beliefs about cause among breast cancer patients and survivors who do and do not seek IO care

Andersen, M. Robyn; Afdem, Kelsey; Hager, Shelly; Gaul, Marcia; Sweet, Erin; Standish, Leanna J.

doi:10.1002/pon.4028

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Illness perceptions have been well studied in a number of cancer populations, including breast, gynecologic, prostate, colorectal, lung, hematologic, and head and neck cancers. 2,[7][8][9][10][11][12] Patients' perceptions of cancer have been shown to predict health care utilization, 9 treatment adherence, 13 health practices including activity, diet, tobacco and alcohol use, cancer screening, and sun exposure, 12,14,15 and completion of advance directives. 16 For example, breast cancer patients who perceived severe consequences of their cancer and those who attributed the cause of their cancer to health practices or stress reported more physical activity and reduced alcohol use and stress during the final phases of treatment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Illness perceptions predict health practices and mental health following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective Beliefs about illness have been shown to shape health practices and coping efforts. The present study investigated illness perceptions among patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). We also examined the extent to which perceptions predicted health practices and mental health following transplant. Methods Participants (N = 332) completed measures of illness perceptions (beliefs about cancer consequences and course, personal and treatment control over cancer, and understanding of one's cancer) prior to HSCT. Health practices (diet, physical activity, and alcohol use) and mental health (depression, anxiety, and psychological well‐being) were assessed pre transplant and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post transplant. Results On average, HSCT recipients felt they understood their cancer, viewed their cancer to be a chronic condition with severe consequences, and believed they had moderate personal control over their cancer but that medical treatment provided more control. Perceptions varied by transplant type. Mixed‐effects linear regression models revealed that HSCT recipients who perceived the consequences of their cancer to be more serious experienced more depression and anxiety, less well‐being, and ate a healthier diet, but were less physically active during the year following transplant. Those with greater personal and treatment control ate a healthier diet and reported greater well‐being. Patients with a better understanding of their cancer also ate a healthier diet and reported less depression, less anxiety, and greater well‐being. Conclusions Perceptions of cancer shape HSCT recipients' health practices and psychological well‐being during the critical first year of recovery after transplant.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Illness perceptions predict health practices and mental health following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous research suggests that breast cancer survivors may frequently endorse the belief that their cancer was due to secular factors out of their control, such as genetics and family history, 29 As hypothesized, both self-appraisals and religious appraisals regarding control over the course/cure of cancer were positively related to positive aspects of adjustment (eg, positive life and health changes and spiritual functioning). These findings are consistent with previous research concerning the relationship between adjustment and self-appraisals 8,9 and religious appraisals 1 of control over cancer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…The means of self‐attributions of cause and God attributions of cause did not differ significantly and had generally low levels of endorsement. Previous research suggests that breast cancer survivors may frequently endorse the belief that their cancer was due to secular factors out of their control, such as genetics and family history, which were not measured in the current study. Our participants were already nearly 2 years beyond treatment at Time 1, which may also have diminished causal attribution levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer survivors' understanding of the cause and cure of their illness: Religious and secular appraisals

Carney

Park

2018

Psycho-Oncology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Secular and religious appraisals of cancer are not mutually exclusive, and religious appraisals are associated with adjustment regardless of survivors' religiosity. Appraisals relating to cause and course/cure have differential relationships with well-being. Addressing cancer survivors' appraisals-religious or nonreligious-in a therapeutic setting may be beneficial regardless of their reported religiosity.

show abstract

“…Participants included a group of 245 patients receiving (IO) treatment (222 of whom completed questionnaires including the question discussed here), and a larger group recruited from the cancer registry matched demographic characteristics and stage of cancer at time of diagnosis. Analyses describing the similarities and differences between the two cohorts are described elsewhere [22]. Women seeking IO care either consented for the study and completed the forms in the clinic or consented during a telephone call with the documents returned by mail.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family History, Genetic, and Other Cause-Related Beliefs among Breast Cancer Survivors

Andersen¹,

Afdem²,

Gaul³

et al. 2019

obm genet

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Patients' lay theories about the cause of their cancer may influence patient behavior and adjustment, they have also been found to differ substantially from scientific evidence of cancer risk factors. This report describes beliefs about genetic causes of breast cancer, among 522 recently diagnosed breast cancer survivors participating in an observational study. Patients were asked to respond to an open-ended question about the cause of their cancer. Causes mentioned included family history, genetics, lifestyle, reproductive and environmental factors, often in combination. Of particular interest we found in total, 31% of women described inheritable causes, including family history, genetics, and specific genes. Lay theories about cancer's cause appear to have evolved to include new information about breast cancer genetics including BRCA1/2, epigenetic influence, and other mutations. Other causes seen in prior reports are also described and were used in many cases in combination with genetic explanations. We present evidence that genetics and family history appear to be particularly satisfying answers to questions of cause for many women with breast cancer.These findings have implications for those seeking to educate and counsel breast cancer patients with and without a family history of cancer.

show abstract

The ‘cause’ of my cancer, beliefs about cause among breast cancer patients and survivors who do and do not seek IO care

Abstract: Beliefs about the cause of cancer change over time and may predict decisions to use specific treatment including complementary and alternative medicine and IO. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cited by 13 publications

References 17 publications

Illness perceptions predict health practices and mental health following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Illness perceptions predict health practices and mental health following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Cancer survivors' understanding of the cause and cure of their illness: Religious and secular appraisals

Family History, Genetic, and Other Cause-Related Beliefs among Breast Cancer Survivors

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About