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Breast cancer

Post-traumatic stress disorder—prevalent and persistent

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in patients with breast cancer, and African American, Asian and younger women are disproportionally affected. PTSD is associated with adverse effects on psychological and physical health and might be an indicator of other risk factors. It is important to screen and treat PTSD, and more research is needed.

Key Points

It is important to recognize that a substantial minority of women will experience post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms related to their diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, with African American, Asian and younger women particularly vulnerable.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by funds from the National Cancer Institute K07CA132916 and the California Breast Cancer Research Grants Program Office of the University of California, Grant Number 17AB-1600.

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Correspondence to Oxana Palesh.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Palesh, O., Koopman, C. Post-traumatic stress disorder—prevalent and persistent. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 10, 252–254 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.49

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.49

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