The relation between hopelessness and psychological and serological outcomes in Israeli women with breast-cancer

Investigations into the role of hopelessness in cancer-outcomes are gaining importance. This study examined the relations between hopelessness and psy chological and serological outcomes among breast-cancer patients. Forty-nin e Israeli women with breast-cancer were assessed for background data, hopel essness (helplessness and pessimism), life-changes, post-traumatic stress d isorder (PTSD) symptoms and negative-affect (NA). A sub-sample (N = 21) was followed over four months for alterations in the breast-cancer serological marker CA15-3. Hopelessness was significantly correlated with PTSD-symptom s (r =.43) and NA (r =.30). Hopelessness accounted for an additional and si gnificant 17% and 10% of the variances in PTSD-symptoms and NA, respectivel y, after controlling for effects of cancer-stage, age, time since diagnosis (and life-changes for PTSD). Finally, helplessness (but not pessimism) pre dicted changes in CA15-3, controlling for cancer-stage (r =.42, p < .05). T hese results support previous findings concerning the importance of hopeles sness in cancer, and extend them to further psychological and serological o utcomes.