Life events, coping and breast cancer: state of the art

In this article the state of the art regarding the possible link between li fe events and the onset and/or prognosis of breast cancer is reviewed. We c an conclude that at this moment there exists no evidence for the contributi on of stressful life events to an increased risk of breast Cancer in studie s of good methodological quality. Only studies of weak methodological quali ty suggest a relationship between stressful life events and risk of breast cancer. There is a need for studies using a straightforward prospective des ign. The contribution of life events to the prognosis of breast cancer is s mall. However, the role of coping is much greater. Coping with the diagnosi s of breast cancer in a passive way is associated with a shorter survival t ime. However, studies of good methodological quality will be needed to repl icate the link between coping and the prognosis of breast cancer. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.