Journal
CANCER MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
Volume 10, Issue -, Pages 4085-4093Publisher
DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD
DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S175210
Keywords
lung cancer; coping strategy; quality of life
Categories
Funding
- Wroclaw Medical University [ST.E020.17.050]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: A cancer diagnosis is a source of emotional distress. The aim of the study was to evaluate coping strategies in patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma and to assess how coping strategies along with other factors affect their quality of life. Patients and methods: A total of 185 patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma were enrolled in this observational, cross-sectional study. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Strategies for coping with cancer were assessed using a shortened version of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MiniMAC) scale. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Results: Respondents (mean age: 62.84 +/- 9.6 years) most often emerged as using a fighting strategy, whereas a sense of helplessness was the strategy used least often. Overall, 65% of the respondents were revealed to have a medium level of constructive style of coping, whereas 62% had a medium level of destructive style. The coping style of nearly 50% of the respondents was predominantly constructive. Patients whose coping style was predominantly constructive had a significantly higher level of quality of life than patients whose coping style was predominantly destructive or whose results showed a balance between the two coping styles. Lung cancer patients had higher scores on the mental functioning scale (mental component summary = 50.20 +/- 39.26) than on the physical functioning scale (physical component summary = 40.07 +/- 28.58). Conclusion: The majority of lung cancer patients use effective strategies for coping with the disease, which correlates with a better quality of life; a compromised quality of life is associated with a destructive coping style. Physicians should endeavor to promote positive, constructive, problem-oriented strategies of coping, especially in patients with a compromised quality of life, where the disease is advanced and when there are comorbidities.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available