Breast Cancer, Psychological Distress, and Life Events Among Young Women
Author Information
Author(s): Ronit Peled, Devora Carmil, Orly Siboni-Samocha, Ilana Shoham-Vardi
Primary Institution: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Hypothesis
Psychological distress and severe life events are risk factors for breast cancer among young women.
Conclusion
Young women who were exposed to a number of life events should be considered as a risk group for breast cancer and treated accordingly.
Supporting Evidence
- The cases presented significantly higher scores of depression compared to the controls.
- A significant difference was found when comparing the groups according to the cumulative number of life events.
- Exposure to more than one life event is positively associated with breast cancer.
Takeaway
If young women go through a lot of tough life events, they might be at a higher risk for breast cancer.
Methodology
A case-control study with 622 women, using validated questionnaires to assess psychological distress and life events.
Potential Biases
The retrospective nature of the study may lead to over-reporting of stress due to knowledge of cancer diagnosis.
Limitations
The study population cannot be considered a representative sample, and the response rate among cases was low (25%).
Participant Demographics
Women aged 25-45, with 255 diagnosed with breast cancer and 367 healthy controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.04
Confidence Interval
1.09–2.40
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website