Psychological profile in patients with Stages I and II breast cancer: associations of psychological profile with tumor biological prognosticators

Abstract

We have earlier shown that breast cancer patients with moderately or well differentiated tumors seem to be able to inhibit stress evoked from anger in a successful manner, while those with poorer prognosis do not. We now report a study with an enlarged group of patients, investigating associations between tumor biological factors and psychological profile. 129 patients with Stages I and II breast cancer undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy were interviewed and tested with three projective personality tests assessing attitude to aggression and coping with stress and anxiety. Creative functioning was also tested. Patients with Stage I (smaller) tumors reported a "fighting spirit" attitude toward the disease, but they also showed depressive reaction patterns. Moreover, if the patient could successfully avoid or inhibit the stress evoked from perceiving an aggressive motif in the picture shown in the aggression test, the tumor biological situation was better. Patients who did not inhibit stress reactions on the aggression test and also on the anxiety test had a poorer tumor biological situation. Surprisingly, low speed of tumor cell proliferation (DNA S-phase fraction) correlated with high scores on the creativity test. Successful denial or inhibition of stress evoked by aggression combined with a creative, flexible attitude was associated with a better tumor biological situation.