Women's experience of traumatic stress in cancer treatment

In this study we investigated gender differences in the prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of cancer patients. Eighty-seven patients (59 women and 28 men) recruited from a local cancer clinic completed measures of individual coping style, social support resources, symptoms of PTSD, and the nature of the trauma associated with these symptoms. PTSD symptoms were more frequently reported by women (27% versus 10%). Predictors of PTSD for women were (1) perceived intensity of cancer treatment; (2) problems with health care professionals; (3) and cognitive avoidant coping style. For men, the sole predictor of elevated PTSD scores was behavioral avoidance. Women reported significantly higher levels of treatment intensity (TI), greater numbers and types of treatment, and more problems with health care professionals. Interpersonal and relational aspects of their illness were reported as most stressful, compared with men who were more concerned with work and finances. These differences may, in part, reflect an androcentric model of cancer treatment, which women experience as particularly stressful.