Abstract
Cancer is a global health problem, affecting mortality and morbidity as well as the physical and mental wellbeing of the survivors. Among women of a specific age group, cancer is the most common cause of death in the United States. Although the incidence rate of all cancers in women remained somewhat stable in the United States in the last decade, the rate went up in other developed countries. In almost all developed countries, the death rate and the five-year survival rate steadily improved, partly due to sophisticated screening methods, early detection, and secondary prevention of metastasis. This trend is encouraging; however, it also emphasizes the importance of understanding the challenges faced by the survivors at different levels of diagnoses and treatment. Psychological wellbeing is a crucial part of the survivors’ journey through cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this chapter, we discuss the epidemiology of the most common and the most important psychiatric manifestations in the context of cancer in women. We also explore the psychological factors influencing risks and prognosis of cancer, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment approaches for psychiatric symptoms in cancer, the barriers in treatment at an individual and at the systems level, and the importance of palliative care, preservation of dignity, respect, and ethical standards.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Abbey G, Thompson SBN, Hickish T, Heathcote D (2015) A meta-analysis of prevalence rates and moderating factors for cancer-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Psycho-Oncology 24(4):371–381. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3654
Andersen BL, DeRubeis RJ, Berman BS et al (2014) Screening, assessment, and care of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adults with cancer: an American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline adaptation. J Clin Oncol 32:1605–1619
Antoni MH (2003) Stress management intervention for women with breast cancer. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC
Antoni MH, Jacobs JM, Bouchard LC et al (2017) Post-surgical depressive symptoms and long-term survival in non-metastatic breast cancer patients at 11-year follow-up. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 44:16–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2016.10.002
Atema V, van Leeuwen M, Oldenburg HSA, van Beurden M, Hunter MS, Aaronson NK (2017) An Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment-induced menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors: results of a pilot study. Menopause 24(7):762–767. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000000836
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2006) Australia’s health 2006. AIHW cat. No. AUS 73. AIHW, Canberra
Beck AT, Steer RA, Brown GK (1986) Manual for the Beck depression inventory-II. The Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, p 82
Beck KR, Tan SM, Lum SS, Lim LE, Krishna LK (2016) Validation of the emotion thermometers and hospital anxiety and depression scales in Singapore: screening cancer patients for distress, anxiety and depression. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 12(2):e241–e249. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajco.12180
Breast Cancer Statistics. In: Cancer Research UK. Available via DIALOG. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer. Accessed 20 July 2018
Breitbart W, Pessin H, Rosenfeld B, Applebaum AJ, Lichtenthal WG, Li Y, Saracino RM, Marziliano AM, Masterson M, Tobias K, Fenn N (2018) Individual meaning-centered psychotherapy for the treatment of psychological and existential distress: a randomized controlled trial in patients with advanced cancer. Cancer 124(15):3231. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31539
Brown SB, Hankinson SE, Arcaro KF, Qian J, Reeves KW (2016) Depression, antidepressant use, and postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 25:158–164
Chow E, Tsao MN, Harth T (2004) Does psychosocial intervention improve survival in cancer? A meta-analysis. Palliat Med 18(1):25–31
Condon JR, Cunningham J, Barnes T et al (2016) Cancer diagnosis and treatment in the Northern Territory: assessing health and service performance for indigenous Australians. Intern Med J 36:498–505
Cordova MJ, Riba MB, Spiegel D (2017) Post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer. Lancet Psychiatry 4(4):330–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30014-7
de la Cruz M, Fan J, Yennu S et al (2015a) The frequency of missed delirium in patients referred to palliative care in a comprehensive cancer center. Support Care Cancer 23:2427–2433
De la Cruz M, Ransing V, Yennu S et al (2015b) The frequency, characteristics, and outcomes among cancer patients with delirium admitted to an acute palliative care unit. Oncologist 20(12):1425–1431. https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0115
Edwards AGK, Hulbert-Williams N, Neal RD (2008) Psychological interventions for women with metastatic breast cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 3:CD004253
Eskelinen M, Korhonen R, Selander T, Ollonen P (2017) Beck depression inventory as a predictor of long-term outcome among patients admitted to the breast cancer diagnosis unit: a 25-year cohort study in Finland. Anticancer Res 37(2):819–824
Fagerlind H, Kettis Å, Glimelius B, Ring L (2013) Barriers against psychosocial communication: oncologists’ perceptions. J Clin Oncol 31(30):3815–3822. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2012.45.1609
Fan HG, Park A, Xu W, Yi QL, Braganza S, Chang J, Couture F, Tannock IF (2009) The influence of erythropoietin on cognitive function in women following chemotherapy for breast cancer. Psychooncology 18(2):156–161. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1372
Fann JR, Thomas-Rich AM, Katon WJ, Cowley D, Pepping M, McGregor BA et al (2008) Major depression after breast cancer: a review of epidemiology and treatment. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 30(2):112–126
Gaudreau JD, Gagnon P, Roy MA, Harel F, Tremblay A (2007) Opioid medications and longitudinal risk of delirium in hospitalized cancer patients. Cancer 109(11):2365–2373
Gesi C, Carmassi C, Sancassiani F, Gadducci A, Dell’Osso L (2017) Post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with ovarian cancer. Int Rev Psychiatry 29:403–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2017.1307168
Giese-Davis J, Collie K, Rancourt KMS, Neri E, Kraemer HC, Spiegel D (2011) Decrease in depression symptoms is associated with longer survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer: a secondary analysis. J Clin Oncol 29(4):413–420. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2010.28.4455
Goncalves V, Jayson G, Tarrier N (2008) A longitudinal investigation of psychological morbidity in patients with ovarian cancer. Br J Cancer 99:1794–1801
Haque R, Shi J, Schottinger JE et al (2016) Tamoxifen and antidepressant drug interaction among a cohort of 16,887 breast cancer survivors. J Natl Cancer Inst 108(3):djv337. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djv337
Ho S-Y, Rohan KJ, Parent J, Tager FA, McKinley PS (2015) A longitudinal study of depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbances as a symptom cluster in women with breast cancer. J Pain Symptom Manag 49(4):707–715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.09.009
Hoffman CJ, Ersser SJ, Hopkinson JB, Nicholls PG, Harrington JE, Thomas PW (2012) Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in mood, breast- and endocrine-related quality of life, and well-being in stage 0 to III breast cancer: a randomized, controlled trial. J Clin Oncol 30(12):1335–1342. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2010.34.0331
Hosie A, Davidson PM, Agar M, Sanderson CR, Phillips J (2013) Delirium prevalence, incidence, and implications for screening in specialist palliative care inpatient settings: a systematic review. Palliat Med 27(6):486–498. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216312457214
Institute of Medicine (2007) Cancer care for the whole patient: meeting psychosocial health needs. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, p 430
Institute of Medicine (US) and National Research Council (US) National Cancer Policy Board, Hewitt M, Herdman R, Holland J (eds) (2004) Meeting psychosocial needs of women with breast cancer. Barriers to appropriate use of psychosocial services, vol 7. National Academies Press (US), Washington, DC. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215941/
Jain S, Boyd C, Fiorentino L, Khorsan R, Crawford C (2015) Are there efficacious treatments for treating the fatigue–sleep disturbance–depression symptom cluster in breast cancer patients? A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Literature (REAL©). Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy 7:267–291. https://doi.org/10.2147/BCTT.S25014
Jones BA, Kasl SV, Howe CL, Lachman M, Dubrow R, Curnen MM, Soler-Vila H, Beeghly A, Duan F, Owens P (2004) African-American/White differences in breast carcinoma; p53 alterations and other tumour characteristics. Cancer 101(6):1293–1301
Kelly CM, Juurlink DN, Gomes T, Duong-Hua M, Pritchard KI, Austin PC, Paszat LF (2010) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and breast cancer mortality in women receiving tamoxifen: a population based cohort study. BMJ 340:c693. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c693
Kisely S, Crowe E, Lawrence D (2013) Cancer-related mortality in people with mental illness. JAMA Psychiat 70(2):209–217. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.278
Kohli S, Fisher SG, Tra Y et al (2009) The effect of modafinil on cognitive function in breast cancer survivors. Cancer 115(12):2605–2616. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.24287
Kwekkeboom KL, Abbott-Anderson K, Cherwin C, Roiland R, Serlin RC, Ward SE (2012) Pilot randomized controlled trial of a patient-controlled cognitive-behavioral intervention for the pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance symptom cluster in cancer. J Pain Symptom Manag 44(6):810–822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2011.12.281
Lee CE, Kim S, Kim S, Joo HM, Lee S (2017) Effects of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program on the physical and psychological status and quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Holist Nurs Pract 31(4):260–269
Leon-Ferre RA, Majithia N, Loprinzi CL (2017) Management of hot flashes in women with breast cancer receiving ovarian function suppression. Cancer Treat Rev 52:82–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctrv.2016.11.012
Liang X, Margolis KL, Hendryx M, Reeves K, WassertheilSmoller S, Weitlauf J, Danhauer SC, Chlebowski RT, Caan B, Qi L, Lane D, Lavasani S, Luo J (2017) Effect of depression before breast cancer diagnosis on mortality among postmenopausal women. Cancer 123:3107–3115
Lo Y, Shen LJ, Chen WH, Dong YH, Wu FL (2016) Risk factors of ifosfamide-related encephalopathy in adult patients with cancer: a retrospective analysis. J Formos Med Assoc 115(9):744–751
Loibl S, Lintermans A, Dieudonné AS, Neven P (2011) Management of menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients. Maturitas 68(2):148–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2010.11.013
McDonald BC, Conroy SK, Smith DJ, West JD, Saykin AJ (2013) Frontal gray matter reduction after breast cancer chemotherapy and association with executive symptoms: a replication and extension study. Brain Behav Immun 30(0):S117–S125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2012.05.007
McFarland DC, Shaffer KM, Tiersten A, Holland J (2018) Physical symptom burden and its association with distress, anxiety, and depression in breast cancer. Psychosomatics 59(5):464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psym.2018.01.005
Mitchell AJ, Baker-Glen EA, Granger L, Symonds P (2010) Can the distress thermometer be improved by additional mood domains? Initial validation of the emotion thermometers tool in early cancer. Psychooncology 19(2):226–236
Montgomery GH, Sucala M, Dillon MJ, Schnur JB (2017) Cognitive-behavioral therapy plus hypnosis for distress during breast radiotherapy: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Hypn 60(2):109–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2017.1335635
Morgan S, Cooper B, Paul S, Hammer MJ, Conley YP, Levine JD, Miaskowski C, Dunn LB (2017) Association of personality profiles with depressive, anxiety, and cancer-related symptoms in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Pers Individ Differ 117:130–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.05.039
Mustafa M, Carson-Stevens A, Gillespie D, Edwards AGK (2013) Psychological interventions for women with metastatic breast cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 6:CD004253. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004253.pub4
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2008) Distress management. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/distress.pdf
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2016) Distress management, version 2. https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/distress.pdf. Published 25 July 2016. Accessed 23 July 2018
National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2004) Guideline on cancer services: improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, p 49, London, UK
Newell SA, Sanson-Fisher RW, Savolainen NJ (2002) Systematic review of psychological therapies for cancer patients: overview and recommendations for future research. J Natl Cancer Inst 94(8):558–584
Oldham M (2017) Autoimmune encephalopathy for psychiatrists: when to suspect autoimmunity and what to do next. Psychosomatics 58(3):228–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psym.2017.02.014
Ouwens M, Hulscher M, Hermens R, Faber M, Marres H, Wollersheim H, Grol R (2009) Implementation of integrated care for patients with cancer: a systematic review of interventions and effects. Int J Qual Health Care 21(2):137–144. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzn061
Park EM, Gelber S, Rosenberg SM, Seah DSE, Schapira L, Come SE, Partridge AH (2018) Anxiety and depression in young women with metastatic breast cancer: a cross-sectional study. Psychosomatics 59(3):251–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psym.2018.01.007
Perk J, De Backer G, Gohlke H, Graham I, Reiner Z, Verschuren WM, Albus C, Benlian P, Boysen G, Cifkova R, Deaton C, Ebrahim S, Fisher M, Germano G, Hobbs R, Hoes A, Karadeniz S, Mezzani A, Prescott E, Ryden L, Scherer M, Syvanne M, Op Reimer WJ, Vrints C, Wood D, Zamorano JL, Zannad F (2012) European Association for Cardiovascular P, Rehabilitation European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (version 2012): the fifth joint task force of the European society of cardiology and other societies on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (constituted by representatives of nine societies and by invited experts). Int J Behav Med 19(4):403–488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-012-9242-5
Pritchard KI (2010) Do selective serotonin receptor inhibitor antidepressants reduce tamoxifen’s effectiveness and increase the risk of death from breast cancer? Breast Cancer Res 12(Suppl 4):S18. https://doi.org/10.1186/bcr2747
Radloff LS (1977) The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psychol Meas 1:385–401
Ramaswami R, Villarreal MD, Pitta DM, Carpenter JS, Stebbing J, Kalesan B (2015) Venlafaxine in management of hot flashes in women with breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat 152(2):231–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-015-3465-5
Sanjida S, Janda M, Kissane D, Shaw J, Pearson SA, DiSipio T, Couper JA (2016) Systematic review and meta-analysis of prescribing practices of antidepressants in cancer patients. Psychooncology 25(9):1002–1016. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4048
Schoormans D, van de Poll-Franse L, Vissers P et al (2017) Pharmaceutically treated anxiety but not depression prior to cancer diagnosis predicts the onset of cardiovascular disease among breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Res Treat 166(1):259–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-017-4387-1
Shand LK, Brooker JE, Burney S, Fletcher J, Ricciardelli LA (2015) Symptoms of posttraumatic stress in Australian women with ovarian cancer. Psychooncology 24(2):190–196. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3627
Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A (2018) Cancer statistics, 2018. CA Cancer J Clin 68(1):7–30. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21442
Simó M, Rifà-Ros X, Rodriguez-Fornells A, Bruna J (2013) Chemobrain: a systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 37(8):1311–1321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.015
Smedslund G, Ringdal GI (2004) Meta-analysis of the effects of psychosocial interventions on survival time in cancer patients. J Psychosom Res 57(2):123–131. discussion 133-5
Stafford L, Judd F, Gibson P, Komiti A, Mann GB, Quinn M (2013) Screening for depression and anxiety in women with breast and gynaecologic cancer: course and prevalence of morbidity over 12 months. Psychooncology 22(9):2071–2078. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3253
Stafford L, Komiti A, Bousman C, Judd F, Gibson P, Mann GB, Quinn M (2016) Predictors of depression and anxiety symptom trajectories in the 24 months following diagnosis of breast or gynaecologic cancer. Breast 26:100–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.breast.2016.01.008
Stagl JM, Bouchard LC, Lechner SC et al (2015) Long term psychological benefits of cognitive-behavioral stress management for women with breast cancer: 11-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Cancer 121(11):1873–1881. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.29076
Tabatabai MA, Kengwoung-Keumo J-J, Oates GR, Guemmegne JT, Akinlawon A, Ekadi G, Singh KP (2016) Racial and gender disparities in incidence of lung and Bronchus cancer in the United States: a longitudinal analysis. PLoS One 11(9):e0162949. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162949
Thekkumpurath P, Walker J, Butcher I et al (2011) Screening for major depression in cancer outpatients: the diagnostic accuracy of the 9-item patient health questionnaire. Cancer 117:218–227
Valachis A, Garmo H, Weinman J et al (2016) Effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors use on endocrine therapy adherence and breast cancer mortality: a population-based study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 159(2):293–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-016-3928-3
Van Arsdale A, Rosenbaum D, Kaur G, Pinto P, Kuo DY, Barrera R, Goldberg GL, Nevadunsky NS (2016) Prevalence and factors associated with cognitive deficit in women with gynecologic malignancies. Gynecol Oncol 141(2):323–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2016.03.001
Vodermaier A, Millman RD (2011) Accuracy of the hospital anxiety and depression scale as a screening tool in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Support Care Cancer 19(12):1899–1908. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1251-4
Weis J, Poppelreuter M, Bartsch HH (2009) Cognitive deficits as long-term side-effects of adjuvant therapy in breast cancer patients: ‘subjective’ complaints and ‘objective’ neuropsychological test results. Psycho-Oncology 18:775–782
Ye M, Du K, Zhou J, Zhou Q, Shou M, Hu B, Jiang P, Dong N, He L, Liang S, Yu C, Zhang J, Ding Z, Liu Z (2018) A meta-analysis of the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy on quality of life and psychological health of breast cancer survivors and patients. Psychooncology 27(7):1695. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4687
Zigmond AS, Snaith RP (1983) The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand 67:361–370
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Roy, K., Riba, M.B. (2019). Cancer in Women and Mental Health. In: Chandra, P., Herrman, H., Fisher, J., Riecher-Rössler, A. (eds) Mental Health and Illness of Women. Mental Health and Illness Worldwide. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0371-4_19-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0371-4_19-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0371-4
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0371-4
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences