▲ (from left) Professor Hee Jeong Kim of the Division of Breast Surgery and Professor Hyo-Won Kim of the Department of Psychiatry at Asan Medical Center

Mothers diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age may feel sorry and even guilty, thinking they cannot provide adequate care for their children. However, recent research suggested that being diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age has little impact on the emotional development of their children. Thus, it is more important for patients to worry less and focus on their treatment.

A team led by Professor Hee Jeong Kim of the Division of Breast Surgery and Professor Hyo-Won Kim of the Department of Psychiatry at Asan Medical Center conducted the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) test for children under 12 of 499 patients aged between 20 and 45 diagnosed with young breast cancer. CBCL evaluates children or adolescents in terms of social adjustment in addition to emotional and behavioral issues. The analysis revealed that 87% of the children had emotional development in the normal range. Given that 84% of the general CBCL test takers would fall in the normal range, this is 3% higher, showing that a breast cancer diagnosis has little impact on children’s emotional development. Additionally, a comparison between young breast cancer patients and 200 breast cancer patients without children showed that those with children had a 2.3 times higher risk of developing depression, indicating that they were more emotionally unstable. Higher Korean Parenting Stress Index scores were also associated with a 1.06 times higher risk of depression.

▲ Professor Hee Jeong Kim consulting a young breast cancer patient

The team stated, “Even if you are diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, it is important to stay positive and focus on your treatment instead of feeling frustrated, worried about your children, or feeling sorry.”

The research findings were recently published in ‘JAMA Network Open,’ a publication of the American Medical Association.