The effect of informing on stress levels in breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy

INTRODUCTION: In the world, breast cancer is the most common malign tumor and includes about thirty percent of all cancer types seen in women. Also it has been reported that, twenty four percent of all cancer cases is breast cancer in our country. Five years survival rate is about 75% and thereby psycho-social factors like life quality and emotional stress are reatively becomes more prominent in this period. Modalities like breast-conserving surgery has become a current issue because these factors may change patients' lives dramatically in their family relationships or in social environments. Changes in body image, self concept, emotional and behavioral status and role reversals in family dynamics are stated in breast cancer diagnosed women in the literature. So, this patients need more informing procedures and psychologic support within tough chemotherapy procedures. Due to these reasons we aimed to evaluate the effect of informing on stress levels in breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy. METHODS: This study is performed in 2012 with 310 patients who undergo chemotherapy with diagnosis of breast cancer in Izmir Ataturk Research and Training Hospital Medical Oncology Clinics and planned as a descriptive and quasi-experimental study. Introductory Information Form, Stress Coping Preference Scale and Training Manual are used for data collection. First five questions examine personal descriptive data like age, marital status, educational background, working and social security status and last 6 questions examine diagnostic and therapeutic information. RESULTS: Study group consisted of 310 patients including 155 experimental and 155 control cases. %78.7 of the cases (n=244) were married. %70.0 of patients (n=217) were aware and %30.0 of patients (n=93) weren't aware of their diagnosis. %65.8 of the patients (n=204) were informed and %34.2 of the patients (n=106) were not informed about their diagnosis and condition. Only 3 patients (%1) were operated. VII There were no significant difference (p=0.299) between informed and non informed group about social support seeking points median values, but there were there were statistically significant differences between study groups about self confident approach, optimist approach, unconfident approach and submissive approach points median values (p=0.02, p=0.001, p=0.000, p=0.035 respectively). Informed patients had higher points in self confident approach and optimist approach and non informed patients had higher points in unconfident approach and submissive approach. Definetely, informed patients who undergo chemotherapy felt more confident and hopeful about their condition (r=0.229 – 0.172). There were positively correlation between training and confidence/hopefulness. CONCLUSION: Multifeceted approach to treatment of breast cancer patients is quiet important and bio-psycho-social model should be accepted. Our results showed that informing interventions during chemotherapy period increase self confidence and helps the patients to be more hopeful about their situation and the future. The study showed the importance of this supportive interventions made by nurses and other health care team.