Distress and Family Functioning in Oncogenetic Counselling for Hereditary and Familial Breast and/or Ovarian Cancers

We conducted a psychological assessment during oncogenetic counseling for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the HAD scale, and family functioning and satisfaction with FACES III. HAD was administered at baseline (t ₁)_, at risk communication (t ₂), at genetic test result communication, or at first surveillance in not tested subjects (t ₃); FACES III was administered at baseline only. We analysed a total of 185 questionnaires administered to the 37 subjects studied. Although not pathological, distress was significantly higher at t ₂ and t ₃ (p = 0.027 and p = 0.039, respectively). Health and marital status were significantly associated with distress. In a disease-free condition, anxiety was higher (p = 0.027) at t _2, and for single status, depression increased from t ₁ to t ₂ (p = 0.026). Families were perceived to be well functioning, and subjects were satisfied with their families. The data collected in this analysis could help to improve the quality of oncogenetic counselling in clinical practice.     

心理干预在放疗患者中的应用

探讨通过实施恰当的心理行为治疗,尤其是教育性干预措施,达到改善放疗患者情绪、提高其生活质量以及降低治疗负反应的效果.采用病例对照的临床研究方法,选用生活质量和心境问卷对160名正在进行放射治疗的住院癌症病人进行了心理干预的比较研究.结果表明,干预组患者的总体情绪和总体生活质量状况,比对照组患者有明显的改善,但愤怒、认知功能以及恶心呕吐症状在两组间的差异不显著;干预组组内比较中,角色功能没有显著性差别.其原因有待于进一步研究.     

Across the Spectrum: Case Studies in Genetic Counseling for Breast and Ovarian Cancer

We present three vignettes based on participants counseled as part of a clinical research program. These include a young unaffected woman at risk for a familial mutation, a newly diagnosed breast cancer patient, and a woman with recurrent ovarian cancer. Through the use of detailed vignettes, multifaceted issues that arise in cancer genetic counseling are highlighted.     

The Relationship Between Agentic and Communal Personality Traits and Psychosocial Adjustment to Breast Cancer

Agency, communion, unmitigated agency (UA), and unmitigated communion (UC) are related to psychosocial health outcomes in nonclinical and medical populations. This study examined the relationship between these personality traits and emotional and interpersonal well-being, as up to 50% of women experience difficulties in psychosocial adjustment after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Seventy-four women newly diagnosed with breast cancer completed baseline assessment measures within 2 weeks prior to their first chemotherapy treatment or at the beginning of their hormonal therapy. Findings indicate that (1) agency and UA are important correlates of emotional and interpersonal adjustment and should be considered when attempting to identify women at high risk for psychosocial distress, and (2) UC deserves increased attention in behavioral medicine research, given its strong relationship with emotional distress in a breast cancer population. Thus, evidence continues to accumulate regarding the important relationship of these personality traits to psychosocial outcomes in medical populations.     

Psychosexual Dysfunction Among Gynecological Cancer Survivors

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the empirical findings related to the assessment and treatment of sexual difficulties commonly experienced by gynecological cancer survivors and to make suggestions for future research and practice in this area. First, we describe the sexual problems that are most frequently reported by gynecological cancer patients and some of their common medical and psychological correlates. These include pain, premature ovarian failure, changes in vaginal anatomy, emotional distress, body image, and sexual self-concept. The complex interaction of physiological and psychological variables plays an important role in the development of sexual dysfunction in this patient population. Furthermore, we review the empirical studies that have examined the effects of sexual rehabilitation therapy on the sexual functioning of gynecological cancer survivors and provide relevant research and clinical recommendations. We also discuss reasons to involve patients' sexual partners in psychosocial oncology research, given the complex interplay between patients' and partners' psychosexual issues.     

Unreliable Bodies: A Follow‐up Twenty Years Later by a Mother and Daughter about the Impact of Illness and Disability on their Lives

We are a mother and daughter, both health care professionals, who offer a follow‐up to an article we published twenty years ago about the impact of each other's ongoing, serious medical problems on our relationship. In this article, we contribute a long‐term perspective on the differences between having an illness that is well or poorly understood by medical professionals and the lay community. We also discuss health in the context of identity formation and life stage, as during this interval the daughter left home, graduated college, married, and had two children. Also in this period, the mother survived a third breast cancer and other life‐threatening illnesses. We discuss the impact of these experiences on each other and in other important relationships in our lives. Current discourses on daughters of breast cancer survivors do not fit our experience and we speculate about why our story differs. We find that although we continue to contend with serious medical issues that impact our own, each other's, and our families' lives, nonetheless, our lives are rich, rewarding, and “appropriate” for our life stage. That is the news.     

Assessing PTSD in the military: Validation of a scale distributed to Danish soldiers after deployment since 1998

Since 1998, soldiers deployed to war zones with the Danish Defense (≈31,000) have been invited to fill out a questionnaire on post‐mission reactions. This provides a unique data source for studying the psychological toll of war. Here, we validate a measure of PTSD‐symptoms from the questionnaire. Soldiers from two cohorts deployed to Afghanistan with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2009 (ISAF7, N = 334) and 2013 (ISAF15, N = 278) filled out a standard questionnaire (Psychological Reactions following International Missions, PRIM) concerning a range of post‐deployment reactions including symptoms of PTSD (PRIM‐PTSD). They also filled out a validated measure of PTSD‐symptoms in DSM‐IV, the PTSD‐checklist (PCL). We tested reliability of PRIM‐PTSD by estimating Cronbach's alpha, and tested validity by correlating items, clusters, and overall scale with corresponding items in the PCL. Furthermore, we conducted two confirmatory factor analytic models to test the factor structure of PRIM‐PTSD, and tested measurement invariance of the selected model. Finally, we established a screening and a clinical cutoff score by application of ROC analysis. We found high internal consistency of the PRIM‐PTSD (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88; both cohorts), strong item‐item (0.48–0.83), item‐cluster (0.43–0.72), cluster‐cluster (0.71–0.82) and full‐scale (0.86–0.88) correlations between PRIM‐PTSD and PCL. The factor analyses showed adequate fit of a one‐factor model, which was also found to display strong measurement invariance across cohorts. ROC curve analysis established cutoff scores for screening (sensitivity = 1, specificity = 0.93) and clinical use (sensitivity = 0.71, specificity = 0.98). In conclusion, we find that PRIM‐PTSD is a valid measure for assessing PTSD‐symptoms in Danish soldiers following deployment.     

Increased cognitive problem reporting after information about chemotherapy-induced cognitive decline: The moderating role of stigma consciousness

Objective: Information about treatment side effects can increase their occurrence; breast cancer (BC) patients showed increased cognitive problem reporting (CPR) and decreased memory performance after information about cognitive side effects. The current study extends previous research on adverse information effects (AIE) by investigating (a) risk factors, (b) underlying mechanisms and (c) an intervention to reduce AIE.

Design: In an online experiment, 175 female BC patients were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the two experimental groups, patients were informed about the possible occurrence of cognitive problems after chemotherapy with (intervention group) or without (experimental group) reassuring information that ‘there are still patients who score well on memory tests’. In the control group, no reference to chemotherapy-related cognitive problems was made.

Main outcome measures: Main dependent measure was CPR. Four moderating and five mediating processes were examined.

Results: CPR increased with higher levels of stigma consciousness in the two experimental groups, but not in the no-information control group.

Conclusion: Merely informing patients about cognitive side effects may increase their occurrence, especially among individuals vulnerable to patient stereotypes. Adding reassuring information is not sufficient to reduce AIE.     

A randomized controlled trial of expressive writing in breast cancer survivors with lymphedema

Objective: Breast cancer survivors who develop lymphedema report poorer quality of life (QoL) than those without lymphedema. Expressive writing is a potential intervention to address QoL.

Design: Adult women (N = 107) with breast cancer and chronic Stage II lymphedema were randomised to writing about thoughts and feelings specific to lymphedema and its treatment (intervention) or about daily activities (control) for four, 20-min sessions.

Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures were several indicators of QoL assessed at baseline, one, three, and six months post-intervention (total scores and subscales of Upper Limb Lymphedema 27 and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Breast). Hypothesised moderators of change in QoL were dispositional optimism, avoidant behaviours, and time since lymphedema diagnosis.

Results: There was no statistically significant intent-to-treat main effects of expressive writing on QoL. Statistically significant moderating effects on change in different indicators of QoL were observed for all three moderators. Expressive writing was more effective for improving QoL in women who were higher on optimism, lower on avoidance and had less time since a lymphedema diagnosis.

Conclusion: These results provide further evidence that there are subsets of individuals for whom expressive writing is more effective. Future research may investigate targeting expressive writing based on identified moderators.     

Measuring illness representations in breast cancer survivors (BCS) prescribed tamoxifen: Modification and validation of the Revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (IPQ-BCS)

Objective: The Revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (IPQ-R), widely used to assess illness perceptions, may fail to measure unique characteristics of different illnesses. This study modified and validated the IPQ-R for breast cancer survivors to provide detailed understanding of the specific illness perceptions held by these patients.

Design: Initial modifications were made following qualitative interviews and were revised in a think-aloud study. The modified scale was tested in 753 breast cancer survivors prescribed tamoxifen. Modifications included adding a tamoxifen consequences scale and adapting the timeline scales to measure beliefs around risk of recurrence and cure. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the modified questionnaire and an exploratory factor analysis on the causal beliefs scale. Test–retest reliability, internal consistency and construct validity were also examined.

Results: The proposed eight-factor structure showed acceptable model fit, with high loadings and good reliability for all subscales. Correlations between subscales were consistent with theory and previous research.

Conclusions: The IPQ-BCS is valid and reliable, and provides unique understanding of specific perceptions held by this population, including beliefs surrounding risk of recurrence and consequences of ongoing hormonal treatment. Identifying these perceptions will aid development of interventions targeting depression, fear of recurrence and medication non-adherence.