Effect of mass screening for breast cancer from the aspect of psychosocial assessment of the quality of life.

To assess the quality of life (QOL) in patients with breast cancer receiving mass screening, a collaborative matched case-control study was conducted in nine hospitals throughout Japan. A total of 122 patients detected by mass screening (study group) and 226 patients found in out-patient clinics (control group) were assessed psychosocially on the basis of questionnaire information. The incidence of patients with early stage breast cancer was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Chest wall pain was observed in 35.2% of the study group and in 46.5% of the control group (P < 0.05). Although control patients were more optimistic than study group patients, disturbed daily life and anxiety about recurrence were a little more frequent in the former group than in the latter. In particular, shoulder stiffness was frequently seen in the control group (P < 0.05). Early detection and information do not create anxiety in mass screening patients (P < 0.01). We should recommend mass screening to patients to detect early stage breast cancer and provide better QOL.