Work

Re: Research Article: Emotional Reactivity and Regulation Relate to Surgical Treatment Decision Making Among Newly Diagnosed Women With Breast Cancer

Year: 2026

Type: letter

Abstract: In 2013, actress Angelina Jolie announced that, as a BRCA1 mutation carrier, she would undergo a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy (BLM) [1].Although rates of BLM had been rising for years, the media dubbed the surge "The Angelina Effect."[2] While public attention was captivated, many in the medical community expressed concern, viewing BLM as overly aggressive given data suggesting no survival benefit for most breast cancer patients [3].Against this backdrop, Benedict et al. [4] examined whether emotion regulation influences surgical decision-making among women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.They found that women with higher cancer-specific anxiety and lower use of cognitive reappraisal were three times more likely to choose BLM.The authors concluded that targeting emotional and cognitive processes as part of treatment may support more conservative, and in their view evidence-based, treatment decision-making.However, several key methodological limitations constrain these conclusions.

Source: Cancer Medicine

DOI: 10.1002/cam4.72290

Authors: Dorothy Levine, Alvin Rosenfeld, Lisa C. Rosenfeld

Institutions: Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: BRCA gene mutations in cancer

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,700

OpenAlex ID: W7222631794

Cites: 6

Cited by:

Related to: 10