Correlation between family care and stigma in patients undergoing radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective observational analysis

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the degree of family care and sense of stigma in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with radiotherapy.METHODS: We retrospectively selected 106 patients with NPC admitted to our hospital between January 2021 and March 2022 as observation subjects. Patients’ general information, family caring, and stigma were statistically assessed using the hospital-made general information questionnaire, Family Caring Index Questionnaire - Apgar, and Social Impact Scale (SIS). Patients were divided into low and high family care groups according to the total Apgar Score, and the SIS Scores of the two groups were compared.RESULTS: The Apgar and SIS Scores of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer were (6.38±2.12) and (61.60±8.68), respectively; under college and divorced family were independent risk factors for family care, and age 45-75 years, under college and disease duration >6 months were independent risk factors for stigma. The total Apgar Score was negatively correlated with the total SIS Score and all dimensions (r SIS total score = -0.568, PSIS total score = 0.000).CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between family care and stigma in patients undergoing radiotherapy for NPC; the higher the family care, the lower the stigma.