BREAST-CANCER CARE IN OLDER WOMEN - SOURCES OF INFORMATION, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OUTCOMES

BACKGROUND. The authors studied older women with breast cancer and ask ed: 1) where do older women get information regarding breast cancer ca re and how helpful do they perceive each of these sources to be? and 2 ) what aspects of social support are associated with older women's gen eral and breast cancer specific emotional health outcomes? METHODS. To be eligible, women had to be at least 55 years of age and newly diagn osed with TNM Stage I or II breast cancer. Data were collected from wo men's surgical records and a 35-minute, computer-assisted telephone in terview. RESULTS. Nearly all women rated information that was provided by their breast cancer physicians as very or somewhat helpful. Writte n materials provided by breast cancer physicians also were frequently rated as very or somewhat helpful. Women's marital status, religious s ervice attendance, ratings of their physicians' technical and interper sonal care, and perceptions of their own abilities to communicate with their physicians were significantly associated with both general and breast cancer specific emotional health outcomes tall P < 0.05). CONCL USIONS. Although older women obtained information regarding breast can cer from a variety of sources, they relied heavily on their physicians for information. To care most effectively for this group of patients, an increased understanding of the relation between the processes and outcomes of breast cancer care is needed Identifying older women with breast cancer at risk for poor emotional health outcomes and developin g methods to enhance physician-patient communication in this setting m ay improve these outcomes. Cancer 1998;83:706-11. (C) 1998 American Ca ncer Society.