Factors related to the expression of emotions by early-stage breast cancer patients.

Objective: (1) To report the number and type of emotional expressions (cues/concerns) raised by breast cancer patients; (2) to identify the influence of setting, patient characteristics, and doctor-patient interaction on emotional expression.

Methods: 308 Italian-speaking female patients were recruited at their first breast cancer consultation. The visits were audio-recorded and analysed for number and type of emotional expressions (VR-CoDES).