Health care utilization one year following the diagnosis benign breast disease or breast cancer.

Purpose: We analyzed health care utilization (HCU) and its predictors in the first year after the diagnostic process for breast cancer (BC) or benign breast disease (BBD) using questionnaires. The impact of trait anxiety on HCU was examined.

Results: In total 591 women were analyzed, 440 with BBD and 151 with BC. In women with BBD and high trait anxiety (HTA) increased HCU was found. In women with BC and HTA only more use of psychosocial care (PS) was found. HCU in BBD was predicted by lower Quality of Life (QoL) and (adjuvant) treatment predicted HCU in BC.

Conclusions: The most important factors for higher HCU were HTA and lower QoL, especially in BBD. In women with BC increased PS use was seen in chronically anxious women. Therefore, it is important to identify these women using a psychometric test and to anticipate to their specific (mental) health care needs.