Breast Cancer

Statement of the Problem: Breast cancer is the highest rates and one of the main causes of death for women. Many therapies have used as the treatments for breast cancer, and one of them is chemotherapy. Breast cancer chemotherapy patients have high risk for stress not only because of the disease itself but also the side effects of chemotherapy. Researchers have reported about related factors with stress in breast cancer chemotherapy patients, but no one has studied about related factors with stress in Minangnese patients. Minangkabau is an ethnic place where women’s position is very special and highly respected by others. The purpose of this study was to determine stress of breast cancer chemotherapy among Minangnese patients and its influencing factors in public Hospital of Padang.

Methodology: This study was descriptive correlation with cross sectional approach.

Findings: Samples of this study were 85 respondents with accidental sampling technique. This study was conducted in a public Hospital of Padang on May until August, 2016. The study instruments were crisis oriented personal scale (Copes) and depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS).

Conclusion & Significance: The bivariate data were analyzed by Pearson Product Moment test, T test, Annova and the multivariate data were analyzed by multiple linear regression test. The result showed that the characteristics of age, length of time since diagnosis of cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, looking for social and spiritual support had a significant relationship with the stress experienced for breast cancer chemotherapy patients. The most dominant factor influencing stress for breast cancer patient was looking for social support recommended for the patients to make a peer group to giving social support by using social media.