ANXIETY IN PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC BREAST DISEASE - EFFECTS OF IMMEDIATE VERSUS DELAYED COMMUNICATION OF RESULTS

Immediate reporting of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) specimens has been introduced into many breast clinics; in others, women return to a later clinic to receive the result. This delay in communication o f results may lead to elevated anxiety. This study compared anxiety le vels in two groups having FNAB. One group received results at the init ial clinic visit (n=51), the other having delayed communication (n=51) . Anxiety was measured using the six-item short form of the Spielberge r State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-SSF) and was administered before and after each consultation. Initial anxiety was high in both groups. Women with malignant results had higher post-communication anxiety co mpared with women with benign results. However, within the group with benign results (the vast majority), immediate communication was associ ated with a significantly greater fall in STAI-SSF scores from before to after the first consultation (U = 587.0; P < 0.02). There was no di fference between the immediate and delayed communication among women w ith a malignant diagnosis (U = 26.0; P = 0.91). These results provide preliminary support for the more widespread introduction of a cytologi st into breast clinics to allow immediate communication of results.