Quality of Life and Its Relation to Cancer-related Stress in Women of Families with Hereditary Cancer Without Demonstrated Mutation

Overview

Journal Qual Life Res

Specialties Pharmacology
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2006 Mar 21

PMID 16547785

Citations 2

Authors

Amy Ostertun Geirdal

Lovise Maehle

Ketil Heimdal

Astrid Stormorken

Pal Moller

Alv A Dahl

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Although quality of life (QoL) and mental distress in women belonging to familial cancer families have been studied, little is known on these matters in women with absence of demonstrated mutations. The aim of this study was to examine QoL and cancer-related distress in such women.

Methods: About 330 women at risk for familial cancers in the absence of demonstrated mutations were invited to the study. About 239 women (72%) (risk group) completed the Short Form 12 (SF-12) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES). The SF-12-findings were compared to the age-adjusted findings from the general female population (controls).

Results: The risk group had significantly better physical QoL than controls, while no significant difference was found for mental QoL. Within the risk group the type of familial cancer did not make a significant difference in QoL, but to have a father with cancer or a deceased parent, was associated with increased risk of being a case with low QoL. Mental QoL showed moderate correlation with cancer-related distress.

Conclusions: Women belonging to familial cancer families in the absence of demonstrated mutations had at least as good QoL as controls in spite of living with a permanent cancer-related threat.

Citing Articles

Korean patients with hereditary cancer: a prospective multicentre cohort study protocol exploring psychosocial and health outcomes.

Kim J, Jang M, Park J, Won D, Ha J, Kim K BMJ Open. 2025; 15(2):e093905.

PMID: 39915020 PMC: 11800292. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093905.

Understanding the experience of myotonic dystrophy. Mixed method study.

Ostertun Geirdal A, Lund-Petersen I, Heiberg A J Genet Couns. 2014; 24(1):169-78.

PMID: 25123360 PMC: 4297614. DOI: 10.1007/s10897-014-9752-1.

The relationship between psychological distress and personality in women from families with familial breast/ovarian or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer in the absence of demonstrated mutations.

Ostertun Geirdal A, Dahl A J Genet Couns. 2008; 17(4):384-93.

PMID: 18607701 DOI: 10.1007/s10897-008-9159-y.

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