MEDICAL FACTORS AND PATTERNS OF ADJUSTMENT TO BREAST-CANCER

Dimensions of emotional adjustment, perceived health status and role f unction were compared by three medical groups: breast conserving versu s non-breast conserving surgery; positive versus negative nodes; and p ost-surgical adjuvant therapy. Intact data series were obtained at 7-1 0 days, at 1, 2, 3 and 6-months, and 1 year post-surgery for 93 women. The overall mean scores for measures of emotional adjustment, perceiv ed health status, and role function did not differ significantly betwe en breast-conserving and non-breast-conserving groups. However, there was a significant change over time with both surgical groups showing i mproved adjustment. Although there were no statistically significant d ifferences between the node status groups in mean scores on the adjust ment variables, the overall patterns over time were analogous to that of the surgical groups. In comparing post-surgical adjuvant therapy gr oups, significant differences in mean scores on the adjustment outcome s were noted mainly between the chemotherapy versus no adjuvant therap y groups at 3 and 6 months post-surgery.