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The Role of Anxiety and Adaptation to Illness in the Intensity of Postchemotherapy Nausea in Cancer Patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Tomás Blasco*
Affiliation:
Autonomous University of Barcelona
Cinta Pallarés
Affiliation:
Hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau
Carmen Alonso
Affiliation:
Hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau
Juan José López López
Affiliation:
Hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Tomás Blasco, Área de Psicologia Bàsica. Apartado 29.Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain. Fax: 34 93 581 33 29. E-mail: tomas.blasco@uab.es

Abstract

The aim of this work was to assess whether cancer patients presenting high anxiety levels or poor adaptation to cancer experience higher levels of postchemotherapy nausea, regardless of the emetogenicity of the chemotherapy schedule. Sixty-three patients were interviewed before receiving their chemotherapy schedule and some psychological variables were assessed. Nausea intensity was also assessed after treatment. The results showed that patients with relatively higher levels of nausea reported higher levels of anxiety prior to chemotherapy and lower levels of adaptation to cancer. Thus, evidence for a modulating effect of psychological factors in postchemotherapy emesis is suggested.

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar si los pacientes de cáncer que muestran altos niveles de ansiedad o una escasa adaptación a la enfermedad experimentan también una elevada náusea postquimioterapia independientemente del potencial emetizante del tratamiento. Se entrevistó a 63 pacientes antes de que recibieran uno de los ciclos de quimioterapia y se evaluaron diferentes variables psicológicas. Asimismo, se registró la intensidad de náusea postratamiento. Los resultados indican que los pacientes con mayores niveles de náusea muestran unos niveles de ansiedad previos a la quimioterapia más elevados y unos niveles de adaptación al cáncer más bajos. Se sugiere la posibilidad de que los factores psicológicos tengan un efecto modulador de la intensidad de la náusea postquimioterapia.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

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