Beliefs about chemotherapy and radiation therapy in patients with oncological diseases: expectations and subjective well-being

Objective. Knowledge, expectations and fears about chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer, affecting the subjective well-being and emotional condition of patients, may indirectly affect treatment satisfaction and complaints of side effects.

The aim was to compare treatment representations in patients referred to radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and to identify its relationship with health anxiety and subjective well-being.

Methods and participants. 53 patients referred to radiation therapy and 63 patients referred to chemotherapy completed the Scale of Treatment Representation in Oncological Diseases, Illness and Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences.

Results. According to the results, the key difficulties with regard to radiation therapy in patients are a lack of understanding of treatment process and a general concern about the need for it. Compared to radiation therapy, with chemotherapy, patients tend to be more doubtful about the effectiveness of treatment and more anxious about the need for it. Moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that lack of understanding, doubts about the effectiveness and anxiety about radiation and chemotherapy are associated with subjective ill-being indirectly - through a higher level of health anxiety.

Conclusions. Feelings of helplessness with regard to treatment mediated the relationship between doubts and confidence about treatment effectiveness and well-being in both groups. With radiation therapy, confidence in the need for treatment was indirectly associated with better well-being - through lower health anxiety.

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