title: A phoenix rising: who considers herself a "survivor" after a diagnosis of breast cancer?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate factors associated with patients' identification of themselves as survivors after a diagnosis of breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered survey was deployed through the nonprofit organization Breastcancer.org . As part of a larger study, we collected data on treatment, mental health, perceived prognosis, concerns about recurrence, and the question, "Do you consider yourself a survivor of breast cancer?"
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 629 survey respondents, 492 (78 %) considered themselves survivors of breast cancer. Factors independently associated with an affirmative response were (1) believing that one's prognosis was "very good" compared to others (p = <0.001), (2) recalling being told that treatment was curative (p = 0.04), (3) having better mental health (p = 0.002), and (4) having received chemotherapy (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The disparate factors associated with the identification of oneself as a survivor-both the perception of having a very good prognosis and having received chemotherapy (reflecting high-risk disease rather than a good prognosis)--are intriguing. Clinicians caring for women with breast cancer should be sensitive to the fact that not everyone considers herself a survivor. Addressing transitions at the end of treatment and during the follow-up period may be challenging for clinicians and patients alike. Awareness of the complexities of survivor identification may help clinicians in counseling their patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychologyy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. cjagiels@uab.edu
authors.forename: Christina H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Jagielski
authors.forename: Sarah T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Corbin
authors.forename: Marisa C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Griggs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D035501:Uncertainty