1. NKCV
Child maltreatment and breast cancer survivors:
Social support makes a difference for
quality of life, fatigue and cancer stress
Christopher P. Fagundes et al
European Journal of Cancer
In press, 2011
Drs. H. Prinsen- Onco/NKCV
Drs. J. de la Fonteijne - NKCV

2. NKCV
Background Quality of life
• Being diagnosed and treated for cancer is emotionally and
physically challenging
• Even when treatment-related problems subside, many breast
cancer survivors report quality of life (QOL) difficulties
– Psychological distress
– Fatigue
– Occupational disruption
– Loss of physical functioning
→ Important to understand why some breast cancer survivors
are more vulnerable to poorer QOL after treatment than others

3. NKCV
Background
• Women who experienced past traumas ↑ risk for psychological
distress when confronted with new traumatic experiences
• Child maltreatment is a common experience; ~50% of adults
report experiencing some type of abuse or neglect as children
• Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, emotionally abused as
children, ↑ psychological distress compared to non-abused
→ Child maltreatment has been linked to cancer-related
psychological distress

4. NKCV
Background Social support
• Social support important role in the QOL of cancer survivors
• People who were abused or neglected as children report
receiving ↓ social support as adults
→ Social support may play an important role linking child
maltreatment to the QOL of breast cancer survivors

5. NKCV
Vragen
1) Is kindermishandeling ook van invloed op KvL variabelen:
moe /werkhervatting / fysiek functioneren
2) Welke mechanismen spelen een rol bij de relatie
kindermishandeling en KvL

6. NKCV
Methods Sample
• Clinical trial addressing potential benefits of yoga
• Breast cancer survivors (n=132)
• Stage 0 – 3A
• All women
• Off-treatment at least 2 months, but no more than 2 years

7. NKCV
Methods Measures
• Childhood trauma questionnaire
• Impact of Events Scale
• Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Investory-Short Form
• Fact-B breast cancer quality of life questionnaire

8. NKCV
Results
• Women who were abused or neglected as children reported:
– ↑ cancer-related psychological distress
– ↑ fatigue
– ↓ physical, emotional, functional, and breast cancer-specific well-being
→ These relations were partially explained by the fact that breast cancer
survivors reported receiving less support as adults

9. NKCV
Discussie
• meer survivors
• bij mishandeling meer klachten
• bekend: mishandeling -> meer distress na
trauma
• nieuw: meer moe / slechter fysiek en
emotioneel functioneren

10. NKCV
vervolg
• moe -> meest voorkomende probleem bij
survivors
• geen relatie soort kanker en behandeling
• verbeteren sociale netwerk ->beter KvL
• sociale steun verklaart belangrijk deel effect

11. NKCV
Discussion Limitations
• vrouwen
• witte
• bias rapportage

12. NKCV
Discussion Clinical implications
Wat kan de psycholoog hiermee?

13. NKCV