Psychosocial consequences in offspring of women with breast cancer
Menée en Australie par questionnaire auprès de 120 enfants (âge : 14-24 ans) de 74 patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein, cette étude prospective analyse leur détresse psychologique et leurs besoins en soins de support
Purpose : Breast cancer (BC) accounts for 24% of female cancers, with approximately one‐quarter of women likely to have offspring aged <25 years. Recent publications demonstrate negative psychosocial well‐being in these offspring. We prospectively assessed for psychological distress and unmet needs in offspring of BC patients. Patient and Methods : Eligible offspring aged 14 to 24 years were consented and completed the Kessler10 Questionnaire and Offspring Cancer Needs Instrument. Demographic and BC details were obtained. Results : Over a 7‐month period, 120 offspring from 74 BC patients were included. Fifty‐nine mothers had non‐metastatic (nMBC), 27 had metastatic breast cancer (MBC) with median time from diagnosis of 27.6 and 36.1 months, respectively. The prevalence of high/very high distress was 31%, with significantly higher scores reported by female offspring (p=0.017). Unmet needs were reported by >50% of offspring with the majority of needs relating to information about their mother's cancer. Greater unmet needs were seen in female offspring and offspring with 0 or 1 sibling for several domains (practical assistance, time‐out, dealing with feelings and support from friends (p<0.05). Greater unmet needs were seen in regard to feelings for MBC patients’ offspring compared to nMBC, but were similar for other unmet needs. Conclusion : Our study confirms high levels of psychological distress in offspring of BC patients, with female offspring reporting significantly higher emotional distress and unmet needs. More than 50% of respondents reported unmet needs in areas which can potentially be supported, including greater information provision, improving practical issues and enabling sufficient recreational time.