title: Depression and anxiety levels in woman under follow-up for breast cancer: relationship to coping with cancer and quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relation of anxiety and depression levels with characteristics of coping with the disease and quality of life were evaluated in women under follow-up for breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had presented to the breast cancer polyclinics for follow-up were evaluated. The Beck Depression and the State-Trait Anxiety inventories were used in the evaluation of depression and anxiety levels. In order to evaluate their power to cope with cancer, the patients were questioned for a social support network. EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires were applied for quality of life evaluations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 23 (19%) patients with depression; 3 (2.5%) with grade I anxiety, 94 (77%) grade II, and 23 (19%) grade III anxiety, respectively. Depression and anxiety levels were affected by the following parameters: being unaccompanied by spouse for hospital follow-ups (P < 0.0001); request to get help by a psychologist (P = 0.02); presence of a person to share their problems (P < 0.0001); and using an alternative treatment (P = 0.04). In the quality of life evaluations, difficulty in sleeping, emotional status, fatigue, and body appearance were related with both depression and anxiety (P < 0.05 for all), whereas physical function (P = 0.002), role performance (P = 0.005), cognitive condition (P < 0.0001), social position (P < 0.0001), pain (P < 0.0001), general health (P < 0.0001), treatment methods (P = 0.001), future anxiety (P < 0.0001), and arm symptoms (P = 0.001) were negatively affected in patients with depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High depression and anxiety levels in patients under follow-up for breast cancer influence the coping with cancer and quality of life adversely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Celal Bayar University Medical School, Manisa, Turkey. okarakoyuncelik@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Omur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karakoyun-Celik
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gorken
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Esmahan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orcin
authors.forename: Hilmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alanyali
authors.forename: Munir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinay
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires