The effect of a pathology clinic on the mental state and adjustment of patients with breast cancer.

Abstract

In this study, we examine whether a pathology clinic, conducted by pathologists, a novel medical tool that provides an explanation for the diagnosis of a cancer, can influence the mental state and adjustment of breast cancer patients. We created a paper-based questionnaire and interviewed targeted breast cancer patients, who had undergone radical surgery, before and after they visited the clinic. We found that there may be increased motivation for treatment, a greater sense of reassurance, and reduced anxiety (as indicated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)) in the group that attended the clinic. Our results suggest that visiting the pathology clinic may reduce anxiety over the short term. On the other hand, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) Anxious Preoccupation scores were significantly higher in this group as well, both before and after attendance, compared to the group that did not attend. The attending group may have reduced anxiety by such actions as collecting medical data on the cause of their anxiety and adopting healthier behaviors. Our findings suggest that appropriate emotional support and provision of medical information are very important in dealing with patient anxiety.