Psychosocial Results In Psychooncological Care For Patients With Breast Cancer

Purpose: The need for psychosocial support for breast cancer patients and the outcome of a survey using psychodiagnostic instruments in a setting of interdisciplinary diagnostic procedures and therapy are presented.Methods: With admission psychosocial care is offered to all patients. One to three days after surgery data on depression, quality of life, stress and physical complaints are collected. The sample in this study consists of 104 patients who received the diagnosis of breast cancer for the first time within three months prior to surgery. A breast-conserving surgery was performed in 67% and a radical mastectomy was performed in 33% of the patients. 35% of the patients were classified as having Stage I, 42% Stage II, 19% Stage III and 4% Stage IV disease.Results: The breast cancer patients show a lower quality of life (M = 43.52 versus M = 58.20) and more anxious depression (M = 34.90 versus M = 20.50) than the healthy controls while their physical complaints correspond to those of healthy women. Their experienced sense of coherence lies significantly below that of the average female population (M = 48.85 versus M = 69.82). A high demand for postoperative psychosocial care is indicated. After the first contact 62% of the patients engaged in further psychosocial support. Patients longing for more indepth therapeutic consultations tend to show higher scores of burdens and perceived stress than the patients without this requirement (M = 49.11 versus M = 35.24).Conclusion: Patients who have been confronted with the diagnosis breast cancer up to three months prior to survey show a clear demand for psychooncologic care.