Abstract
We looked into possible differences in the life history and reaction to illness to be observed in younger and older breast cancer patients. The patients, 49 in number, are between 29 and 69 years of age, average age 50. A semi-structured interview took place mostly in the final third of the post-irradiation phase. In the group of women, who developed cancer before the age of 48, some common aspects could be shown in their biography. These women lost an emotionally important person (e.g., a parent) more often in their early childhood. These patients describe an emotionally cold atmosphere in their families along with a missing pronounced basic trust. Also they were overstrained with responsibility too early for their age. The ideals of these patients are somewhat like those of the ‘Amazons’: they negate the typical female role and its consequences on the bodily, psychic and social level. They seem quite combative, achieving and to the point. As far as sexual responsiveness is concerned only 12% of the younger groups express a consistently positive attitude towards sexuality. Pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding are frequently accompanied by serious complications, but they have, in the majority of cases, children. When regarding the multi-causal genesis of cancer, it may be that psychic factors have less influence on the immune system in older patients than the overall ageing process with its weakening of the immunological defence system. The psychic component, if it exists, plays a greater role with the younger patients. The older patients in their life history and pre-morbid behaviour are nearer to what passes for the psychic norm. Other carcinogen factors play a more significant role in older patients: the cancer may have achieved greater autonomy from psychic factors.