Psychological and medical predictors of disease course in breast cancer: a prospective study

Abstract

The goals were to examine the prognostic value of psychological and medical variables with regard to disease course in breast cancer. The subjects were 96 stage I and II breast cancer patients (mean age: 53.13 years). They were administered a background information questionnaire, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Locus of Control Scale. The predictors were stage, progesterone and oestrogen receptor status, adjustment, anxiety, and control. Dependent variables were state of health 3 and 5 years post‐surgery and survival 5 years post‐surgery. Results showed that state and survival were predicted significantly (about 31 per cent better than chance), mostly by both medical and psychological variables, and that medical variables played a larger role in 5 year predictions than in 3 year ones. The most important medical predictor was stage, and the most important psychological one adjustment, especially adjustment with regard to sexual relationships and in the sphere of social relations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.