Psychological risk factors of incidence of breast cancer: a prospective cohort study in Finland

• Published in: Psychological medicine Vol. 35; no. 10; pp. 1515 - 1521
• Main Authors: ARO, A. R., KONING, H. J. DE, SCHRECK, M., HENRIKSSON, M., ANTTILA, A., PUKKALA, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.10.2005
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Clinical outcomes; Cohort Studies; Coping; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology; Epidemiology; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Older women; Original Article; Predictors; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Psychological aspects; Psychology; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Registries; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Trait anxiety; Tumors; Europe; Finland; Social environment; Breast disease; Disease; Mental health; Epidemiology; Incidence; Cohort study; Adult; Female; Anxiety; Coping; Public health; Human; Mood disorder; Attitude; Depression; Personality; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Stress; Symptomatology; Follow up study; Risk factor; Predictive factor; Comparative study; Somatic disease
• ISSN: 0033-2917; 1469-8978
• DOI: 10.1017/S0033291705005313

Background. Belief that depression and other psychological factors predict breast cancer is common, but there have been few prospective epidemiological studies on this relationship. Method. The relationship between depression, personality traits, illness attitudes, life events and health history, and breast cancer risk was studied in a prospective, 6–9 year follow-up of a cohort study of 10892 Finnish women of 48–50 years of age at the baseline. Cancer cases were obtained from the Cancer Registry of Finland. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed controlling for socioeconomic factors, family history of cancer, parity, and health behaviours. Results. Breast cancer incidence in the cohort was 1·15 times the average in age group 50–59. There was no evidence of depression, trait anxiety, cynical distrust, or coping being significant predictors of breast cancer incidence. Conclusion. In this cohort study with the 6–9 year follow-up, psychological factors such as depression, trait anxiety, cynical distrust, or coping did not increase breast cancer risk.