Adaptação à doença oncológica e qualidade de vida

Abstract

The diagnosis of an oncologic disease implies an adaptation process which can affect the patient’s quality of life. This study aims to explore the association between the adjustment to cancer and the quality of life of oncologic patients, and the role of underlying factors such as sociodemographic and clinical variables. The study sample consists of 34 participants diagnosed with cancer who attend units of the Portuguese League Against Cancer. The instruments used were a sociodemographic questionnaire, Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-Mac), and the World Health Organization Scale for Quality of Life – Bref (WHOQOL-bref). The results achieved allow us to conclude that the oncologic patient's quality of life is proportional to his/her degree of adaptation to the illness. This adaptation is not related to the patient's age group, the illness' progression stage and the type of diagnosis attributed. As it relates to types of treatment, individuals who submit to surgical interventions face greater difficulties while adapting to the illness, while individuals who experience hormone therapy show greater quality of life, when compared to those who didn't submit to this therapeutic process.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Elisa Veiga (Supervisor)