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Objective To assess body image concerns among young women following a breast cancer diagnosis. Methods A total of 419 women with recently diagnosed stage 0-III breast cancer were surveyed following enrollment as part of a prospective cohort study of women age 40 or younger at diagnosis. Body image was assessed using three items from the psycho-social scale of the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System (CARES). CARES scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicative of greater image concerns. Mean CARES scores were calculated and compared between treatment groups using t-tests and analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression models were fit to evaluate the relationship between physical and psychological factors and body image. Results Mean time from diagnosis to completion of the baseline survey was 5.2 months. The mean CARES score for all women was 1.28. Mean CARES scores in the mastectomy-only group (1.87) and in the mastectomy with reconstruction group (1.52) were significantly higher ( p < 0.0001) compared with the scores in the lumpectomy group (0.85), indicating that radical surgery was associated with more body image concerns. Radiation ( p = 0.01), anxiety ( p = 0.0001), depression ( p < 0.0001), fatigue ( p = 0.04), musculoskeletal pain symptoms ( p < 0.0001), weight gain ( p = 0.01), and weight loss ( p = 0.02), in addition to surgery type ( p < 0.0001), were all associated with more body image concerns in the multi-variable analysis. Conclusion This analysis highlights the impact of treatment, along with physical and psychological factors, on body image early in the survivorship period. Our findings provide targets for potential future intervention and may aid young women in the surgical decision-making process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Survivor's Health and Reaction study used a quality-of-life model adapted for cancer survivors by Dow and colleagues to identify factors related to global health-related quality of life (HRQL) and to document the prevalence of problems and health-oriented behaviors in a follow-up study of breast cancer patients who participated in CALGB 8541. Methods: A total of 245 survivors (78% of those invited) who were 9.4–16.5 years post-diagnosis completed surveys that inquired about current HRQL, economic, spiritual, physical and psychosocial concerns, and health-oriented behaviors (e.g. smoking, exercise, and supplement use). A regression model was developed to examine factors related to global HRQL across all domains. Results: The regression model revealed that decreased energy levels (odds ratio (OR)=1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.07), having heart disease (OR=5.01, 95% CI: 1.39, 18.1), having two or more co-morbidities (OR=2.39, 95% CI: 1.10, 5.19), and lower social support (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.05) were associated with lower global HRQL. Factors related to psychological, spiritual, and economic domains were not predictive of global HRQL. Regarding lifestyle changes, some women reported engaging in health-oriented behaviors since their cancer diagnosis, such as improving eating habits (54%), increasing exercise (32%), and reducing/quitting smoking (20%). The most prevalent problems reported by women at follow-up were menopausal symptoms (64%), such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, osteoporosis (25%), and lymphedema (23%). Conclusion: Suggestions are provided to target interventions, such as provider-based strategies, in order to improve HRQL in long-term breast cancer survivors. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study's objective was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Cancer-Related Communication Problems within Couples Scale (CRCP), a measure to assess whether patients and their partners have difficulty talking about cancer with each other. Methods: The CRCP Scale included 18 items concerning open communication/emotional support, treatment-specific issues, self-protection, and protective buffering. Patients and partners responded through the American Cancer Society's website and mailed questionnaires through Y-ME. The CRCP's validity was tested using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS, marital relationship). Results: 189 female patients and 135 male partners participated in the survey. Three items were deleted based on lack of clarity or an item not being applicable to many respondents, resulting in a 15 item scale. The number of CRCP problems' internal consistency in the 15 item scale was good for both patients and partners (alpha coefficient=0.87, 0.81, respectively). The number of patients' CRCP problems correlated with the DAS (p<0.0001), and the number of partners' CRCP problems correlated with the HADS (p<0.0001) and the DAS (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Analyses supported the CRCP Scale's reliability and validity for female cancer patients and male partners. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]