Breast Cancer Patients & Medical Caregivers

One of every nine women may be expected to develop breast cancer during their lifetime (Haller, 1991, p. 438). Therapy outcomes will vary widely among these women, as will the reactions of the individual women to the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of the disease (Munkres, 1992, pp. 12011209). As breast cancer patients react to the disease and to the therapies, some perceptions, both positive and negative, will be extended to their medical professional care givers. Patient attitudes toward their medical professional care givers can affect the degree of trust and cooperation between patient and care giver, which, in turn, can affect the effectiveness of a treatment program. Patient attitudes toward their medical professional care givers, therefore, are significant. A problem exists with respect to the knowledge of those factors that influence the attitudes of breast cancer patients toward their medical professional care givers. This problem will be investigated in the proposed research study.

The purpose of the proposed research study will be to identify some of the factors that influence the attitudes of breast cancer patients towards their medical professional care givers, and to assess the strength of the relationships between these factors and the character (positive or negative) of the attitudes. Within the context of this study purpose, seven research hypothes