The role of psychosocial factors in the development of breast carcinoma: Part II - Life event stressors, social support, defense style, and emotionalcontrol and their interactions

BACKGROUND. The evidence supporting an association between life event stres s and breast carcinoma development is inconsistent. METHODS. Five hundred fourteen women requiring biopsy after routine mammogr aphic breast screening were interviewed using the Brown and Harris Life Eve nt and Difficulties Schedule. Other psychosocial variables assessed include d social support, emotional control, and defense style. Biopsy results iden tified 239 women with breast carcinoma and 275 women with benign breast dis ease. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to distinguish between breast carcinoma subjects and benign breast disease controls based on thes e psychosocial variables and their interactions. RESULTS. The findings of the current study revealed a significant interacti on between highly threatening life stressors and social support. Women expe riencing a stressor objectively rated as highly threatening and who were wi thout intimate emotional social support had a ninefold increase in risk of developing breast carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS. Although there was no evidence of an independent association b etween life event stress and breast carcinoma, the findings of the current study provided strong evidence that social support interacts with highly th reatening life stressors to increase the risk of breast carcinoma significa ntly. (C) 2001 American Cancer Society.