Psychosocial factors in the etiology of breast cancer: review of a popularlink

Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring type of cancer in women in t he western world. The etiology of a large proportion of breast cancers is s till unexplained, and the possibility that psychosocial factors could play a role is not ruled out. Already in pre-Christian times, it was assumed tha t psychological factors might play a significant role in the development of breast cancer. However, studies have failed to produce conclusive results. There is still a lack of knowledge on the relationship between breast canc er development and psychosocial factors such as stressful life events, copi ng styles, depression, and the ability to express emotions. The results of this review show that there is not enough evidence that psychosocial factor s like 'ways of coping' or 'non-expression of negative emotions', play a si gnificant role in the etiology of breast cancer. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.