Background: Previous studies have implicated emotional suppression, in particular suppression of anger, in the onset and progression of breast cancer. Many of these studies used non-standardized measures and failed to control for the effects of age and/or possible knowledge of diagnosis. The present study aimed to avoid these methodological errors in investigating the relationship of emotional suppression to a diagnosis of breast cancer in a large mammography screened population.
Method: Data were collected from 1151 women with suspicious mammograms recalled to a breast screening programme. Prior to multidisciplinary assessment women were asked to complete the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale. Imaging assessment outcome data and biopsy results were collected.
Results: Fifteen per cent of this population subsequently were diagnosed with breast cancer. There were no significant associations between a cancer outcome and emotional suppression before or after the highly significant effect of age was taken into account.
Conclusions: These results suggest that suppression of emotion may not be relevant to the development of breast cancer. Its role in the progression of existing disease requires clarification.