Psychological issues: quality of life and hope in patients with head and neck cancer

Awareness of diagnosis of cancer can have a devastating effect on individual personality, psychological balance and their families. Head and Neck cancer is especially traumatic emotionally because of disfigurement and functional impairment resulting from both the cancer and its treatment. Numerous concerns exist from a psychological perspective for the head and neck cancer patient, including the reaction to the cancer itself, the threat to one's mortality, body image issues, fears of treatment (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy) and potential disfigurement, family, social and vocational issues. In the frame of theoretical and empirical background of Positive psychology and psychooncology , in the past decade there has been a considerable increase of interest in quality of life (QoL) and hope issues.The main aim of this study is to compare patient’s Quality of life and the level of hope before and after the Head and Neck cancer surgery.The results shown that there were significant differences between Quality of life and the level of hope comparing the period before and after surgery . Issues associated with the head and neck cancer patient are far-reaching, and the ramifications of treatment often extreme. Therefore it is important for patients, caregivers, and medical staff to understand the many facets of adjustment to cancer and the impact of treatment on the patient's quality of life as well as its medical impact. Psychological support is often necessary in assisting these patients to make a successful adjustment to all the difficulties they will encounter as a result of the illness. Even long-term survivors report difficulties in coping, and therefore caregivers must remember that patients make a lifetime adaptation when undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. Because their lives are changed, they must make appropriate personal changes in order to assist them in ensuring the highest possible quality of life following treatment. Key words: Quality of Life; Hope; Head and Neck Cancer; patient