Abstract

BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS AS A LIFE-CHANGING MATTER TO THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES

Dorota Lesiak*

Abstract

Background: Diagnosis of a malignant disease does not affects only the individual patients, however all the close people as families could be touched by this matter. Family members may have to deliver a physical care or more financial support to the patients. Also the family members or carers themselves may experience challenging emotions and feelings or even more serious psychological problems such as depression, anxiety in addition to a significant impact on their quality of life. Method: A narrative study of seven published studies with a total number of 2848 participants, the review aimed to explore the breast cancer diagnosis impact on the patients and their families, and how this affects their quality of life. Results: In three studies, 57% of family members reported mental pressure in a form of anxiety, depression and fear of the unfavourable outcome. A negative impact on the social life was seen in 11.80% of breast cancer American patients, however the rate was 90% in Indian patients. Conclusion: Breast cancer diagnosis is a genuine life-changing experience to both individual patients and their families. It is recommended to offer psychological assessment and support for breast cancer patients as well as for their family when appropriate, also the implementation of psychological therapy as a part of breast cancer management pathways is recommended.

Keywords: Breast cancer, Depression, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder.