PSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF CANCER SURVIVAL

For studying the involvement of psychology in physical health it is necessary to define the psychological factors.The purpose of the study was to define psychological variables that support cancer survival.The theoretical approach was based on the cognitive orientation (CO) health model (Kreitler & Kreitler) The methodology of identifying the relevant psychological factors is based on interviewing pretest subjects according to systematic specific guidelines that enable defining themes summarized in the form of a questionnaire.The questionnaire of the CO of survival included statements referring to beliefs about oneself, norms, goals and general.The themes were identified in a separate preliminary study in which recurrence was retrospective.In the major study the CO questionnaire was administered to cancer patients with three different diagnoses (breast, melanoma, colorectal) in the first phase of their medical treatment and they were checked again after 5 years and then again after 12 years.The dependent variables were no recurrence or recurrnce (metastases, mortality).The correct identification of the no recurrence patients was by discriminant analysis significant for all groups and all patients after 5 years, and for breast cancer and all patients after 12 years.The results support the role of CO as the basis for identifying the relevant psychological correlates of survival in cancer.