Abstract: Objective: To describe the dynamic changes of rumination and subjective well-being in patients with breast cancer six months after surgery, and explore their relationships among these patients. Methods: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 99 patients with breast cancer to be included in the current study. A general information questionnaire, the Chinese Event-Related Rumination Inventory, and the General Well-being Schedule were used to collect relevant information. Results: Over the course of six months, the level of rumination in patients with breast cancer and its related sub-dimensions were statistically different (P<0.01), with significant changes on subjective well-being (P<0.01). Patients' invasive rumination significantly affected patients' subjective well-being (P<0.01). In addition, patients' objective rumination significantly affected their subjective well-being (P<0.01). Conclusion: The level of rumination and subjective well-being in patients with breast cancer changed dynamically within six months after surgery, and the higher the level of objective rumination, the better the patients' subjective well-being. The healthcare providers should identify the cognitive processing characteristics of patients with breast caner, and adequately adopting customized interventions to improve their subjective well-being.

Key words: breast cancer; rumination; subjective well-being; longitudinal study