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

• Published in: The Spanish journal of psychology Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 47 - 52
• Main Authors: Blasco, Tomás, Pallarés, Cinta, Alonso, Carmen, López, Juan José López
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2000; Complutense University of Madrid, Faculty of Psychology
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Anxiety - psychology; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Male; Middle Aged; Nausea - chemically induced; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - psychology; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; anxiety; náusea; ansiedad; quimioterapia; adaptación a la enfermedad; adaptation to illness; chemotherapy; nausea; Human; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Interindividual comparison; Anxiety; Nausea; Malignant tumor; Adaptation
• ISSN: 1138-7416; 1988-2904
• DOI: 10.1017/S1138741600005539

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.