Talking 'helps' breast cancer patients

Patients should focus on attainable goals, says research

Talking about their fears can help women with breast cancer do better after treatment, new research shows.

Expressing their emotions helps women to confront the disease and encourages them to think more positively about their situation, according to research from the University of Kansas.

The researchers believe teaching women to talk about their anxieties leads to less distress and a better health outlook.

Their study, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, studied 92 women with early breast cancer following surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment.

Coping skills

It found that the benefits of talking about their fears were apparent even several months later and included a reduction in the number of medical appointments the women needed for problems associated with their cancer.

Lead author Annette Stanton suggests that training in coping skills may help women adjust to a breast cancer diagnosis.

"One may begin to distinguish what one can and cannot control to channel energy towards attainable goals, and to generate alternate pathways for bolstering control," she said.

The study supports the findings of earlier research that suggests psychological support can improve outcomes.

Research in Glasgow found that support from an experienced breast cancer nurse helped women to cope psychologically.

Discussing the situation can benefit a patient's sense of wellbeing and their state of mind

Cancer Bacup

And a study from the University of Hull has indicated that training in relaxation techniques can also help women cope better.

A spokesman for Cancer Bacup said that, while it is never easy to talk about cancer, experience showed that doing so could be very helpful.

"Cancer Bacup firmly believes, from talking with patients with all kinds of cancer, that discussing the situation can benefit a patient's sense of wellbeing and their state of mind," he said.

"Many patients find that getting as much information as possible about cancer, its treatment and what to expect can be very helpful," he added.