BREAKDOWN AND CANCER - RESULTS OF PRELIMI NARY-STUDY ON 707 PATIENTS

Within a multifactorial etiology of cancers and a bio-psycho-social ap proach of patients, considering, among the risk factors, those related to personality in a preventive view, the authors investigate, by an e pidemiologic methodology, for a correlation between break-down phenome na and the development of a cancer. The study was carried out at the S alah Azaiez Institute in 1992 and included 707 patients aged from 15 t o 82 years, 44% presenting a malignant tumour. For a retrospective eva luation of break-down semiology, the study is based on DSM-III criteri a of break-down diagnostic. Search for a clinic/psychic diagnostic rel ation reveals the difficulty of coexisence between break-down signs an d the development of a cancer. That difficulty increases in case of an organised break-down.