title: The impact of mode of presentation on distress in patients with early stage breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We set out to determine whether a difference exists between levels of psychological distress in women diagnosed with breast cancer through routine screening versus those who presented symptomatically.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed levels of distress in comparable numbers of patients with screen-detected and non-screen-detected female breast cancer patients being treated with curative intent, using the Hospital Anxiety and Distress Scale (HADS) (total n = 93).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both cohorts, 50.5% scored above threshold for anxiety, depression, or both. Being aged over 60 was associated with concomitant positive anxiety and depression screening in both cohorts. Financial stress was associated with positive depression scores. No statistically significant difference was found between HADS scores for screen-detected versus self-detected patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over 50% of patients with screen-detected or symptomatic breast cancer experience high levels of distress. Consideration should be made for the routine use of distress screening in this population.
authors.affiliation: Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland. janemcsweeney@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jane McSweeney
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Mahony
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.|Department of Medical Oncology, South Infirmary Victoria Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Battley
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, South Infirmary Victoria Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nagle
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.|Department of Medical Oncology, South Infirmary Victoria Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Anxiety; Breast cancer; Depression; Distress; Screening