European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Differences in depression, anxiety, and quality of life between women with and without breast pain prior to breast cancer surgery.
Little is known about the relationships between pain, anxiety, and depression in women prior to breast cancer surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOL) in women who did and did not report the occurrence of breast pain prior to breast cancer surgery. We hypothesized that women with pain would report higher levels of anxiety and depression as well as poorer QOL than women without pain. ⋯ Our a priori hypotheses were only partially supported. Findings from this study suggest that, regardless of pain status, anxiety and depression are common problems in women prior to breast cancer surgery.