Profiles of women with breast cancer: who responds to a telephone interpersonal counseling intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the profiles of women with breast cancer for whom a telephone interpersonal counseling intervention (TIP-C) was beneficial for symptom management and quality of life. This analysis was based on 24 participants who completed the telephone counseling intervention and all three measurements over the course of 10-week pilot study. The typical woman with breast cancer was white, in her mid-fifties and married at the time of the study. The majority was Stage II and was receiving chemotherapy as their primary adjuvant treatment. Preliminary findings suggest that women who were in long-term marriages and reported no previous history of depression or cancer benefited most from the intervention. These women reported less depression, negative affect, symptom distress and fatigue, and improved quality of life. Several theories are proposed for these findings and implications for practice are discussed.