Concerns about breast cancer and relations to psychosocial well-being in amultiethnic sample of early-stage patients

Much work on psychosocial sequelae of breast cancer has been guided by the assumption that body image and partner reaction issues are focal. In a tri- ethnic sample of 223 women treated for early-stage breast cancer within the prior year, the authors assessed a wider range of concerns and relations t o well-being. Strongest concerns were recurrence, pain, death, harm from ad juvant treatment, and bills. Body-image concerns were moderate; concern abo ut rejection was minimal. Younger women had stronger sexual and partner-rel ated concerns than older women. Hispanic women had many stronger concerns a nd more disruption than other women. Life and pain concerns and sexuality c oncerns contributed uniquely to predicting emotional and psychosexual disru ption; life and pain concerns and rejection concerns contributed to predict ing social disruption. In sum, adaptation to breast cancer is a process bea ring on several aspects of the patient's life space.