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Breast cancer diagnoses for affected women usually an extremely traumatic experience
The diagnosis of breast cancer can cause post-traumatic stress symptoms in affected women. This has been found out by a research team from Munich. In more than half of those affected, the symptoms persist for at least one year. Doctors should be aware that patients also need support in this area.
More detailed research of breast cancer
According to the German Cancer Aid, around 75,000 women in Germany suffer from breast cancer every year. About 17,000 patients die every year. Many scientists around the world are studying the disease more closely and are constantly gaining new insights. Recently, a research team from the University of New York's Buffalo University reported a high risk of breast cancer in women with periodontitis. Now, scientists from Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) in Munich have found that even the diagnosis of breast cancer can trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Posttraumatic stress symptoms after one year
According to a press release from Munich University, the study showed Cognicares around Dr. Kerstin Hermelink from the Breast Center of the Department of Gynecology of the LMU that these symptoms are measurable in the majority of women still a year after the finding. The researchers published their findings in the journal "Psycho-Oncology". The team led by Kerstin Hermelink and her PhD student Varinka Voigt has scientifically supported more than 160 breast cancer patients over a period of one year as part of the German Cancer Aid study Cognicares and compared them with 60 women without a cancer diagnosis. All participants were examined for symptoms of posttraumatic stress at three time points.
Patients with emotional deafness and great irritability
Posttraumatic stress disorder can be associated with impotent rage, fear of death, grief and emotional emptiness. It can also lead to physical discomfort such as sweating, shaking, nausea, shortness of breath or tachycardia. In the Munich study, 82.5 percent of all patients had post-traumatic stress symptoms prior to treatment, such as constant, undeniable thoughts on the condition, emotional numbness, extreme irritability with fits of anger, and excessive aggravation. Although only a few patients (two percent) developed a full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder one year later, more than half (57.3 percent) still suffered from post-traumatic symptoms.
Diagnosing breast cancer worse than a serious accident
"It is remarkable that the high psychological burden of the disease persists for such a long time," says Hermelink. A comparison with other triggers of trauma also shows how difficult the diagnosis of cancer is: the patients who had already experienced another trauma prior to their illness and diagnosis, for example victims of a serious accident or a violent attack, maintained this 40 percent of those diagnosed with breast cancer for the worse experience.
Data is not based on self-disclosure
"Cognicares is one of the very few longitudinal studies that can lead to traumatic disorders after breast cancer diagnosis," explained Hermelink. The data are not based on self-disclosure but were collected by psychologists using a diagnostic interview. Only patients without metastases were examined: women, who could have legitimate hope for a cure. In addition, women with mental illnesses and a lack of knowledge of German were excluded. "We therefore assume that our data underestimate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms in breast cancer patients and healthy women," said Hermelink.
Why the strain lasts longer in some patients
In their data, the scientists looked for influencing factors, why not all patients developed posttraumatic stress symptoms and why the strain lasted longer in some patients. "We could not prove any influence of the type of surgery or treatment with chemotherapy. On the other hand, there was clearly a favorable effect of formation. Apparently, education is a marker of resources that allow people to recover faster from the psychological burden of cancer diagnosis, "explained Hermelink.
Patients need appropriate support
As the university writes, the study results are also interesting against the background that the classification system DSM, which is used in psychiatry as a guide for diagnoses, since 2013 no longer lists life-threatening diseases as potential triggers for trauma. "Against the background of our study results and my experiences working with breast cancer patients as a psycho-oncologist, I think that's wrong," Hermelink said. "Doctors should be aware that after breast cancer diagnosis, a majority of patients develop post-traumatic stress symptoms and need appropriate support." (Ad)