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ANALYSIS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING SURGERY FOR BREAST CANCER

Aimen Mubashar, Muhammad Shahid , Sulaman Ghafoor

Introduction: Pakistan is a developing country where up to 70% of women present when breast cancer is in its advanced stage. Advanced breast cancer is cancer that is metastatic. Advanced breast cancer is a life threating disease with a poor prognosis profile. Women with a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer engage in a multi-stage cancer treatment cycle often involving surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Aims and objectives: The basic aim of the study is to analyze the sources of distress among patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer in Pakistan. Material and methods: This study was conducted at Jinnah Hospital Lahore during December 2017 to May 2018. Using a purposive sampling strategy, 14 adult female breast cancer patients were selected for this study with variations in their age, educational level, socioeconomic status, and number of exposures to RT. Data were collected through the recording of the face-to-face in-depth interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide. Results: A total of 14 female breast cancer patients participated in this study. Their age ranged between 20 and 60 years, with an average of 35 years. Majority (79%) of them were married. About 50% of them were illiterate, whereas 43% were matriculate. All of them were Muslims and of Pathan ethnicity. Before RT, all of them had mastectomy of the affected breast, followed by chemotherapy. Conclusion: It is concluded that a substantial number of adult cancer patients were depressed and have a suicidal ideation, causing a significant functional impairment.

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