presented suggest that these depressed individuals did not

suffer a relative decrease in social support over time when

compared with the nondepressed.

 The impact of social support on mortality from cancer

was reported among the findings of both Greer and Morris

(1975) and Weisman and Worden (1975). In their study of 69

breast cancer patients, Greer and Morris reported a tendency

for unmarried or those with poor marital relationships to

have a less favorable outcome. The findings were not

statistically significant at the .05 level. Similarily,

terminal cancer patients with longer survivals in Weisman and

Worden's (1975) investigation were those with good relation-

ships with others who were able to preserve "a reasonable

degree of intimacy with family and friends until the very

last" (p. 71). Shorter survivals occurred in patients who,

among other things, reported poor social relationships.

 Both short-term recovery and survival from breast

cancer have also been studied relative to stress, social

support and age (Funch & Mettlin, 1982; Funch & Marshall,

1983). In the analysis focusing on short-term recovery

(Funch & Mettlin, 1982) the support available to 151 female

breast cancer patients who were 3 to 12 months postoperative

was studied retrospectively. Three forms of support were

considered: social, professional, and financial. According

to Funch and Mettlin, social, professional and financial