Table 2. Impact of same-day diagnosis on stress and anxiety, measured by the six-item State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
| Mean STAI scores (SE) | STAI 1 before intake | STAI 2 before imaging | STAI 3 before diagnosis | STAI 4 1 day after dx | STAI 5 3 days after dx | STAI 6 7 days after dx | Overall P-value* |
| All patients (n = 127) | 45.2 (1.2) | 42.9 (1.2) | 38.4 (1.2) | 32.2 (1.3) | 30.7 (1.3) | 30.0 (1.5) | <0.001 |
| Benign disease (n = 105) | 44.4 (1.3) | 42.1 (1.3) | 36.5 (1.2) | 28.2 (1.3) | 26.8 (1.3) | 25.9 (1.3) | <0.001 |
| Malignant disease (n = 22) | 48.6 (2.7) | 46.4 (2.7) | 47.7 (2.7) | 48.6 (2.7) | 46.6 (2.5) | 46.7 (2.2) | 0.933 |
| No biopsy performed (n = 76) | 45.7 (1.4) | 42.8 (1.4) | 34.3 (1.4) | 26.3 (1.5) | 25.3 (1.4) | 25.5 (1.5) | <0.001 |
| Core needle biopsy performed (n = 51) | 44.4 (1.9) | 43.0 (1.9) | 44.8 (1.9) | 40.8 (2.1) | 38.5 (2.1) | 36.1 (2.3) | 0.005 |
| Score CWS <7 (n = 75)a | 43.3 (1.6) | 41.6 (1.6) | 38.8 (1.6) | 32.5 (1.7) | 31.2 (1.7) | 30.2 (1.7) | <0.001 |
| Score CWS ≥7 (n = 43) | 48.3 (1.8) | 45.2 (1.8) | 37.7 (1.8) | 31.5 (2.0) | 29.4 (2.2) | 29.5 (2.9) | <0.001 |
| Age <65 years (n = 104) | 45.1 (1.3) | 42.6 (1.3) | 37.8 (1.3) | 30.8 (1.4) | 28.4 (1.4) | 28.4 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| Age ≥65 years (n = 23) | 45.3 (2.6) | 44.1 (2.6) | 41.4 (2.7) | 37.2 (2.7) | 38.5 (3.1) | 33.9 (3.6) | 0.001 |
| No history of breast cancer (n = 120) | 45.7 (1.3) | 43.0 (1.3) | 38.6 (1.3) | 32.4 (1.3) | 31.0 (1.4) | 30.1 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| History of breast cancer (n = 7) | 36.2 (3.5) | 41.4 (3.5) | 35.2 (3.5) | 28.5 (3.8) | 25.8 (3.6) | 28.0 (3.6) | 0.024 |
| Negative family history (n = 82) | 46.5 (1.4) | 44.5 (1.4) | 39.6 (1.4) | 33.1 (1.6) | 30.7 (1.7) | 30.8 (2.0) | <0.001 |
| Positive family history (n = 45) | 42.7 (2.2) | 40.0 (2.1) | 36.3 (2.1) | 30.5 (2.3) | 30.5 (2.2) | 28.4 (2.3) | <0.001 |
| Palpable lesion/complaints (n = 79) | 44.1 (1.4) | 42.0 (1.4) | 36.2 (1.4) | 28.7 (1.5) | 26.9(1.5) | 27.2 (1.9) | <0.001 |
| Lesions detected by the Screening Program (n = 48) | 47.1 (2.1) | 44.4 (2.1) | 42.1 (2.1) | 37.8 (2.2) | 37.9 (2.3) | 34.6 (2.2) | <0.001 |
| Educationb: Low (n = 19) | 48.2 (3.1) | 46.3 (3.0) | 44.6 (3.0) | 34.8 (3.2) | 33.5 (3.4) | 33.4 (4.0) | <0.001 |
| Medium (n = 25) | 43.0 (2.4) | 39.1 (2.4) | 34.9 (2.4) | 30.9 (2.3) | 28.8 (2.3) | 26.8 (2.3) | <0.001 |
| High (n = 41) | 46.5 (2.2) | 44.1 (2.2) | 40.7 (2.2) | 31.8 (2.2) | 31.8 (2.1) | 30.8 (2.2) | <0.001 |
Abbreviations: STAI, State Trait and Anxiety Scores; SE, Standard Error; dx, diagnosis; CWS, Cancer Worry Scale.
*P-values from mixed model analysis indicating the significance of decrease in anxiety over time.
a
Nine patients did not fill in the cancer worry scale.
b
Level of education was unknown in 42 patients.