Breast cancer and a distressed marriage - These make the road to recovery extremely difficult for a woman on the slow and painful road to recovery, say researchers at that Ohio State University.
During the study, researchers found that patients in distressed marriages had higher levels of stress, less physical activity, slower recovery and more symptoms and signs of illness than did similar patients who reported good marriages.
Women and Cancer
Cancer is one of the frequently talked about and most feared disease that falls under the genre of lifestyle diseases that have evolved, rather rapidly, in the past two decades.
Advertisement
"The quality of the marital relationship may not be the first thing women worry about when they get a cancer diagnosis. But it may have a significant impact on how they cope physically and emotionally," said Hae-Chung Yang, co-author of the study and research associate in psychology at Ohio State University.
"Our results suggest that the increases in stress and other problems that come with a distressed marital relationship can have real health consequences, and lead to a poorer recovery from cancer," Yang added.
![Breast Self Examination - Animation]( "Breast Self Examination - Animation")
Slides and animation of Breast Self Examination for early detection of breast cancer lumps in women
The study involved 100 women who have participated in the long-running Stress and Immunity Breast Cancer Project at Ohio State. All of the women were married or cohabitating at the time they entered the study and remained so during the five years they were followed.
Participants completed a questionnaire that measured the quality of the relationship they had with their spouse every year for the five-year study period.
The majority of participants reported very little change in marital quality over the course of the study and, based on these results, they were split into two groups - those who had a distressed relationship (28 women) and those who did not (72 women).
Participants were regularly measured on levels of cancer-related stress and overall stress, diet, physical activity, general physical functioning, and symptoms and signs of illness.
Yang said that the results showed that women with good marriages had plenty of advantages. Women in both groups started the study with high and nearly equal levels of cancer-related stress.
In terms of overall stress, women in distressed marriages saw levels remain stable over the five years, while those in better relationships experienced a steady decline in stress levels.
Women with strong marriages had better dietary habits than those in distressed relationships, and that continued through the course of the study.
Women in strong marriages also maintained adequate levels of physical activity for a longer period of time compared to the women with distressed relationships, whose physical activity dropped steadily.
As far as overall health performance, women in bad relationships saw a significantly slower recovery than did other women.
The study appears online now, and will be published in a future issue of the journal Cancer.
Source: ANI
TAN/M
Breast Self Examination - Animation
Slides and animation of Breast Self Examination for early detection of breast cancer lumps in women
Advertisement
The study involved 100 women who have participated in the long-running Stress and Immunity Breast Cancer Project at Ohio State. All of the women were married or cohabitating at the time they entered the study and remained so during the five years they were followed.
Participants completed a questionnaire that measured the quality of the relationship they had with their spouse every year for the five-year study period.
The majority of participants reported very little change in marital quality over the course of the study and, based on these results, they were split into two groups - those who had a distressed relationship (28 women) and those who did not (72 women).
Participants were regularly measured on levels of cancer-related stress and overall stress, diet, physical activity, general physical functioning, and symptoms and signs of illness.
Yang said that the results showed that women with good marriages had plenty of advantages. Women in both groups started the study with high and nearly equal levels of cancer-related stress.
In terms of overall stress, women in distressed marriages saw levels remain stable over the five years, while those in better relationships experienced a steady decline in stress levels.
Women with strong marriages had better dietary habits than those in distressed relationships, and that continued through the course of the study.
Women in strong marriages also maintained adequate levels of physical activity for a longer period of time compared to the women with distressed relationships, whose physical activity dropped steadily.
As far as overall health performance, women in bad relationships saw a significantly slower recovery than did other women.
The study appears online now, and will be published in a future issue of the journal Cancer.
Source: ANI
TAN/M
Women With Breast Implants Can Now Hope For Cancer Treatment
Women with early-stage breast cancer who have had breast implants can be effectively treated with a partial-breast radiation treatment, say researchers.
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Cancer News
The combination of the personalized cancer vaccine with ACT led to ovarian cancer control in few patients within a span of three months, stated study results.
Uncovering key kinases in tumor growth and invasion is crucial for improving targeted therapies in advanced-stage colorectal cancer.
The study findings validate metal-enhanced photo-oxidation for future metal-based anticancer drugs.
Mutations in 11 genes are linked to aggressive forms of prostate cancer, which may present novel therapeutic and therapy options.
Improved oral health, as indicated by the count of natural teeth and dental appointments preceding the diagnosis, correlated with enhanced head and neck cancer survival rates.
