Factors involved in breast cancer treatment choice and their impact on patients’ resilience

Irina Crumpei

Abstract


Treatment choice in oncology is a difficult, complex process. The cancer diagnosis meets the criteria for a traumatic event and patients are overwhelmed with negative emotions. In this vulnerable moment, women with early breast cancer have to decide between mastectomy and breast conserving surgery, adjuvant therapies and breast reconstruction. Quality decision making and optimal communication with their doctors are strongly associated to resiliency in post-treatment phase. We examined patients’ knowledge of their treatment options, their involvement in the decision making process and the relationship to quality of life. 154 early-stage breast cancer patients took part in the study. Our results highlight important deficiencies in patients’ knowledge about breast cancer treatment, their communication with the medical team and their implication in the decision making process. Even years after completing the treatment, poor information and communication is associated with ambivalence and low quality of life.

Keywords


breast cancer, decision quality, quality of life, resilience

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22551/2015.06.0202.10040

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