Optimism, social support, and adjustment in African American women with breast cancer.

Past studies show that optimism and social support are associated with better adjustment following breast cancer treatment. Most studies have examined these relationships in predominantly non-Hispanic White samples. The present study included 77 African American women treated for nonmetastatic breast cancer.

Reproducibility of platelet function testing.

Platelet aggregation and release studies aid in the diagnosis of bleeding disorders. However, variability in normal individuals has not been established. We evaluated the variation in platelet aggregation and release testing over a period of 2 years with 59 observations among 5 subjects.

Standardized versus open-ended assessment of psychosocial and medical concerns among African American breast cancer patients.

Standardized quality of life measures have been developed and used primarily with Caucasian and middle-class cancer patients. This study assessed the ability of several widely used standardized measures to capture the concerns and problems of 89 African American breast cancer patients. Concerns and problems were assessed using both an open-ended format and standardized measures.

Psychological adjustment among African American breast cancer patients: one-year follow-up results of a randomized psychoeducational group intervention.

The effectiveness of support group interventions for cancer patients has been established among White patients but has been virtually unstudied among minority patients. The current study represents the 1st randomized support group intervention targeted to African American women with breast cancer. Participants (N = 73) with nonmetastatic breast cancer were randomly assigned to an 8-week group intervention or an assessment-only control condition At 12 months, the intervention resulted in improved mood as well as improved general and cancer-specific psychological functioning among women with greater baseline distress or lower income.

Treatment regimen, sexual attractiveness concerns and psychological adjustment among African American breast cancer patients.

Background: Among a sample of African American women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, we assessed the consequences of different treatment regimens on sexual attractiveness concerns, and the impact of sexual attractiveness concerns on current and subsequent psychological adjustment.

Patients And Methods: The sample included 91 African American women with breast cancer; 90% had Stage I or II disease, 48% had chemotherapy, 47% had a lumpectomy, and 53% received a mastectomy. Feelings of sexual attractiveness and psychological adjustment were assessed an average of 3 months following surgery and again 4 months post-baseline.