Abstract
This chapter draws from our program of research to tell the story of how we approached the questions germane to many cancer patients: What are their experiences? What changes occur in their lives? Which processes govern this? Which resources matter most? Can patients learn techniques to help themselves optimize this period of their lives and beyond? We begin by reviewing the stressors and major concerns that women experience as they deal with diagnosis, surgery, and adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. These stressors set the stage for the development of benefit finding and other aspects of positive adaptation indexed with psychosocial and physiological indicators. We next review individual differences such as optimism, certain cognitive coping strategies, social support, and anxiety reduction, all of which serve as resilience factors-qualities that predict better adaptation and benefit finding during treatment. We then consider the role of stress physiology in adapting to illness. Although the research on stress physiology has not been conducted specifically in the context of cancer, the findings may be relevant to cancer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)