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. 2018 Oct 1:10:4085-4093.
doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S175210. eCollection 2018.

The effect of coping strategy on quality of life in patients with NSCLC

Mariusz Chabowski  1   2 , Beata Jankowska-Polańska  3 , Katarzyna Lomper  3 , Dariusz Janczak  1   2
Affiliations

The effect of coping strategy on quality of life in patients with NSCLC

Mariusz Chabowski et al. Cancer Manag Res. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: coping strategy; lung cancer; quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

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