Onkológia 5/2007

BEHAVIORAL RISK PROFILE OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL INTERVENTION

The role of psychosocial stages and social intervention on adjustment to and survival from breast cancer is currently intensively studied. Recent studies indicated that social intervention plays an important role in the disease outcome, survival time, quality of life and may help the patients to cope with changed marital relationship, intimate ties, familiar and professional relations, social links and mental and physical health. Targeted social intervention plays a significant role in helping the breast cancer survivors to return into normal social cohesions. The results indicate that social intervention is positively influencing instrumental oriented and emotion focused coping with the development of behavioral risk profile including anxiety, defense passivity and social isolation. Social intervention supports stepwise the adaptability of patients to the impact of cancer disease.

Keywords: breast cancer, survival, behavioral risk profile, social intervention, quality of life