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Worry About Cancer Progression and Low Perceived Social Support: Implications for Quality of Life Among Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Worry about cancer progression and perceived social support can affect cancer survivors’ quality of life (QOL).

Methods

In 480 early-stage breast cancer survivors, we examined how worry about cancer progression and perceived social support 6 months after definitive surgery were associated with QOL (RAND 36-item Health Survey) at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up.

Results

At 6 months post-surgery, higher worry was associated with worse QOL for five of eight subscales. Lower social support was associated with worse QOL for four subscales. The negative effects of worry and limited social support dissipated for four subscales (worry) and two subscales (social support) by 12-month follow-up and for all subscales by 24-month follow-up. Social support at 6 months moderated the relationship between T2 worry and T4 emotional well-being; post hoc tests did not clarify the nature of the interaction.

Conclusion

Early-stage breast cancer survivors who worry about cancer progression and/or have low social support may experience lower levels of QOL that can take several months to resolve.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute and Breast Cancer Stamp Fund (R01CA102777) and by the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA91842) to the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Erika A. Waters was supported by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. We thank our patient participants, the interviewers, and the Siteman Cancer Center’s Health Behavior, Communication and Outreach Core (Mr. Jim Struthers) for data management services, and Pam Hunborg at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. We also greatly appreciate the many physicians who helped us recruit their patients for this study, including Drs. Barbara Monsees, Rebecca Aft, Jill Dietz, Julie Margenthaler, Virginia Herrmann, Timothy Eberlein, Matthew Ellis, Imran Zoberi, Marie Taylor, Michael Naughton, Antonella Rastelli, Donald Lombardi, Cynthia Ma, Loren Michel, and Rama Suresh at Washington University School of Medicine, and Dr. Eddie Hsueh at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Lastly, we thank the review and editorial staff for the suggestions made about previous versions of this manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Campus Box 8100, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Erika A. Waters PhD, MPH

  2. Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Erika A. Waters PhD, MPH, Mario Schootman PhD & Donna B. Jeffe PhD

  3. Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Ying Liu MD, PhD

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Mario Schootman PhD & Donna B. Jeffe PhD

Authors
  1. Erika A. Waters PhD, MPH
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  2. Ying Liu MD, PhD
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  4. Donna B. Jeffe PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erika A. Waters PhD, MPH.

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Waters, E.A., Liu, Y., Schootman, M. et al. Worry About Cancer Progression and Low Perceived Social Support: Implications for Quality of Life Among Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients. ann. behav. med. 45, 57–68 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9406-1

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