Image of Your Own Body, Sense of Isolation and Quality of Life in Patients with Gynecological Cancers

Abstract

Aim: to study mental state of gynecological oncological patients, their attitude to the existing disease and quality of life.Material and methods. The study was conducted on the basis of the City Clinical Hospital No. 1 of Novosibirsk. The main group (17women aged 29 to 60 years) included patients with ovarian cancer, cancer of the external female genital organs, and uterine cancer; the comparison group was comprised of 20 people aged 29 to 63 years without a history of cancer.Results. In gynecological oncological patients, dissatisfaction with their own bodies is more pronounced; they perceive their body distorted, which may be due to the characteristics of the disease and the specifics of treatment. Patients with gynecological cancers have a more pronounced subjective feeling of loneliness, but it is at the upper limit of the norm, which may mean the fact that these patients turn in upon themselves, in their experiences, as well as the feeling of something lost in their inner world. Patients with gynecological cancers showed an average level of quality of life and low indicators of the mental component of health, which indicates reduced functioning and a significant effect of the patient’s physical and emotional state on daily activities.Conclusion. The mental state of the cancer patient, his ability to withstand stress, his attitude to the existing disease affect the treatment process and further quality of life.

Keywords

• oncological diseases
• body image
• quality of life
• feeling of loneliness