Acceptance of illness in lung cancer patients during treatment: Do women differ from men?

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Current researches indicate that patients with lung cancer have one of the highest incidence of mood and anxiety disorders compared to other cancers. <bold>Aims:</bold> The purpose of the study was to compare acceptance of the disease and the level of stress in patients with lung cancer during treatment. <bold>Methods:</bold> Clinical data were collected from medical records. Additionally, a self-administered questionnaire and psychological tests were used: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS). The AIS contains eight statements that describe the negative consequences of disease. Patients were required to determine their current condition using a five-grade scale. PSS-10 rates how often patients felt or thought in a particular way during the last month on a scale from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). <bold>Results:</bold> 100 consecutive patients with confirmed primary lung cancer during treatment were enrolled in the study (50 women and 50 men). The dominant histology was adenocarcinoma (women 54% vs men 40%) and the most frequent stage was IV (women 46% vs men 70%) in both sexes. Median age in both groups was similar (women 66 vs men 65). Despite moderate level of illness acceptance and stress of the disease in the psychological tests (PSS-10, AIS) in both groups, women reported four times more often the willingness to be supported by a psychologist or psychiatrist due to lung cancer. However, they do not decide to consult more often than men. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Lung cancer in women remains also an important problem in psychological terms. In the treatment of women, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary, including the support of a psychologist or psychiatrist.