Worry and Mindfulness Differentially Impact Symptom Burden Following Treatment Among Breast Cancer Survivors: Findings From a Randomized Crossover Trial.

Breast cancer survivors experience side effects resulting from their cancer diagnosis and treatment, including higher rates of pain, fatigue, and memory/concentration problems. Emotion regulation offers the possibility to either better or worse physical health. This study assessed how two emotion regulation strategies, mindfulness and worry, corresponded to changes in focus problems, memory problems, and fatigue along with performance on pain sensitivity and cognitive tasks across two visits among breast cancer survivors. A total of 149 survivors completed 2 day-long visits in the laboratory where they rated their fatigue and memory problems six times across the day, completed cognitive tests, and a pain sensitivity test. Findings from this study showed that breast cancer survivors who worried more and were less mindful experienced subjective memory problems, focus problems, and cold pain sensitivity across two visits. Emotion regulation skills did not predict objective pain sensitivity or cognitive problems. Results from this study highlight the benefits of adaptive emotion regulation skills like mindfulness in helping improve the cognitive and physical symptoms commonly experienced by breast cancer survivorship.