Choice of surgery for early breast cancer: pre- and postoperative levels of clinical anxiety and depression in patients and their husbands.
Two groups of patients with early breast cancer were studied prospectively to assess whether being offered a choice of surgery (simple mastectomy or wide excision plus radiotherapy) influenced levels of anxiety and depression pre- and postoperatively. A significantly higher percentage of the patients not offered a choice of surgery experienced high levels of anxiety and depression pre-operatively and up to 2 months postoperatively compared with patients offered a choice; the results were also similar for the husbands of these patients. At 4 months, differences between the two groups were not statistically significant, although the trend remained the same with more patients not offered a choice of treatment showing high levels of anxiety and depression. Patients offered a choice of surgery had similar pre- and postoperative levels of anxiety and depression to patients with benign breast disease and patients undergoing surgery for non-cancerous conditions.
Morris
J
J
Department of Psychology, The University, Southampton, UK.
Royle
G T
GT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies