Evaluation of emotional distress in breast cancer patients

Cancer has been known as a class of dangerous diseases which cause tremendous physical and emotional problems to both patients and their families. In spite of medical advances, cancer is still considered to be equal with death and pain. This study aims to analyze the emotional distress and the causes in breast cancer patients. This study was a quantitative study which tries to analyze the emotional distress in 82 breast cancer patients referred to the Radiotherapy and Oncology Department of Razi Hospital in Rasht, northern Iran. In this study, the emotional distress is analyzed based on a standard questionnaire which contains demographic information, distress thermometer, and a section devoted to the probable causes. Among the 82 patients that participated in this study, 32 patients [39%] suffered from severe emotional distress which had a statistically significant relationship [p<0.009] with the functional status of the patients. Taking care of children, fear, anxiety, difficulties of taking bath and wearing clothes, family problems, fever and nasal dryness are the most common issued related to emotional distress. Emotional distress can affect the quality of life of breast cancer patients. Therefore, oncology specialists should utilize mental health services to improve their patients' mental health as well as to control the consequences of the disease

Comparison of hormone receptor status in primary and recurrent breast cancer

Systematic treatments such as hormone and chemotherapy are selected according to tumor characteristic after major therapeutic approaches such as surgery. This study attempted to analyze and compare the status of Estrogen Receptor [ER] and Progesterone Receptor [PR] in primary and recurrent sites of breast cancer in patients. We reviewed all medical records of breast cancer women who were treated between January 1995 and December 2008. One hundred eighty two out of 2241 patients [8.12%] had a metastatic breast cancer. Amongst them 48 patients had tumor and biopsy-driven samples, however 13 samples were destroyed and only 35 samples were investigated in this study, therefore 35 malignant biopsy specimens of breast cancer patients were examined by immunohistochemistry essay for ER and PR. Binominal proportional test and Chi square test were conducted to determine the significant correlation between positive cases of hormone receptors among primary and metastases sites. Hormone Receptor in the primary tumor [HR1] of 9 patients [25.7%] was positive [ER1 and/or PR1] and in the recurrent areas [HR2] of 8 patients [22.9%] was positive [either ER2 or PR2 positive]. Kappa coefficients of diagnostic agreement in primary and recurrent cases were 0.077 and 0.125 for estrogen and progesterone, respectively which indicated that the amount of coefficient of agreement is not considerable between primary and recurrent sites. The current study indicated that receptor status in recurrent tumors did not pose predictable value based on the analysis of hormone receptors in primary stage, so it is not an appropriate basis to set up therapeutic protocol in the metastatic patients. Therefore, tissue sampling and hormone receptor reanalyzing of metastatic sites should be considered in these cases