Abstract
Aims: To asses lung cancer (LC) impact on patient social life, emotional status, future expectations. To evaluate patient understanding of the disease and its risk factors.
Study Population: 62 LC patients (male 85%, female 25%, mean age 64±9 years; 89% stage III-IV) were questioned. The average time of illness was 10,5 months.
Methods: A questionnaire was created concerning LC impact on patient social life, family relations, smoking habits, religious beliefs, expectations for the future.
Results: Patients claimed that suffering from LC did not change their personality (64%), social life (72%) or family relations (80%). 15% thought that they became better to others and 8% more open-minded.
Almost all patients were advised to stop smoking by their family physician (40%) or pulmonologist (52%) at least once. 73% of patients admitted that smoking is the risk factor for LC. However only 48% quit this habit, stating that there are other reasons as important as smoking for developing the disease. 87% of patients reported they do not feel lonely, do not think about suicide (98%) or death (71%), but most of them avoid thinking and talking about life expectancy and the future. 53% of patients support the possibility of euthanasia in general and 47% are against it. 83% of patients believe in God. For most of them (79%) knowing the diagnosis did not influence their faith, 18% claim it became stronger.
Conclusions: Majority of the patients do consider smoking as a major risk factor for LC development, but only few take action. Our study shows that LC does not significantly influence patient emotional status, relations with others, religious beliefs or social habits even in advance stages of the disease.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015
