title: Psychological assessment of women on an early breast screening program after radiotherapy to the chest wall for childhood cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the psychological status in a population of female patients who received chest irradiation for a childhood cancer and were screened for second primary breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight consecutive such young women were included. Compilation of the Crown-Crisp Index questionnaire was requested and 49/68 patients accepted to fill it in; 14 women in the sample had children (28%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-seven of 49 patients achieved a normal score, whereas in 22 the score was slightly above the normal range in at least one scale. Pathological scores were more frequent among the women without children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quality of life in this series of long-term survivors does not seem to be severely affected by previous treatment for cancer nor by the concern for the onset of a second primary malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo Alfredo
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Clerici
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fossati-Bellani
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lepera
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gennaro
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergonzi
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meazza
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podda
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gandola
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veneroni
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cefalo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luksch
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massimino
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Polastri
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spreafico
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terenziani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000528:radiation effects*