Results
The study found that the cancer patients reported higher levels of depression and less optimism than the control group. They were also more likely to have experienced multiple traumatic life events, though there was no connection found to specific life events.
The researchers concluded that "we can carefully say, that experiencing more than one meaningful life event (severe and/or mild to moderate) is a risk factor for breast cancer among young women. On the other hand, general feelings of happiness and optimism can play a protective role against the disease."
They recommend that "young women who suffered a loss in their early childhood, especially those exposed to a number of life events, should be considered as a risk group and be treated accordingly.
Limitations of the Study
Researchers wrote of a number of issues with the study which may have influenced theresults. Firstly, the response rate among cancer patients was low (only 25%), and the controls were not randomly selected. Also, since the patients were interviewed post-diagnosis (an average of 1 year later), it is possible that their negative outlook on life could be a result of, rather than a cause of, their disease. However it should be noted that while the women's mental state could be subjective, the number of traumatic events experienced is not.
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