OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between Type D personality and illness 
perceptions among colorectal cancer survivors 1-10years post-diagnosis.
METHODS: Data from two population-based surveys on colorectal cancer survivors 
was used. Patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2009, as registered in the 
Eindhoven Cancer Registry, received a questionnaire on Type D personality (DS14) 
and illness perceptions (B-IPQ); 81% (n=3977) responded.
RESULTS: 750 (19%) patients had a Type D personality. They believe their illness 
has significantly more serious consequences, will last significantly longer, and 
experience significantly more symptoms that they attribute to their illness. 
Also, they are more concerned about their illness, and their disease more often 
influences them emotionally. Differences regarding 'consequences', 'concern' and 
'emotional response' were also clinically relevant. The majority of patients 
stated that the cause of their disease was unknown (23.3%), hereditary (20.3%), 
lifestyle (15.1%), psychological distress (11.9%) or other (11.6%). Significant 
differences in perceptions on cause of disease between Type Ds and non-Type Ds 
were found for psychological distress (16.2 vs. 10.9%; p<0.01), randomness (1.7 
vs. 5.3%; p<0.01) and unknown (18.8 vs. 24.4%; p<0.01). Multivariate analyses 
showed that Type D was negatively associated with 'coherence' and positively 
with 'consequences', 'timeline', 'identity', 'concern', and 'emotional 
representation'.
CONCLUSIONS: These results elucidate the associations between personality and 
illness perceptions, demonstrating their close interrelatedness. Our study may 
be helpful in further developing theoretical models regarding giving meaning to 
illness and the illness perceptions that the illness elicits. Future studies 
should investigate whether interventions can positively impact illness 
perceptions of Type D cancer patients.