Mental adaptation to cancer diagnosis and the health locus of control in patients undergoing treatment

Introduction.Cancer diagnosis and treatment perspectives pose a serious emotional and behavioral burden for the patient, and require adaptation strategies to be adapted. Material and methods.The research consisted of 569 patients aged 19 to 91 undergoing oncological treatment. The study used the mini-MAC scale to measure mental adaptation to cancer and the MHLC scale to measure the health locus of control. Results.The strategy of anxiety preoccupation was highest in breast cancer. The strategy of helplessness and hope­lessness achieved the highest value in breast and reproductive organ cancers. The fighting spirit strategy showed the highest value in cancers of the digestive system. The positive re-evaluation strategy was the highest in cancers of the head and neck, and digestive system. Conclusions.Patients with breast cancer and reproductive organ cancers seem to be at greater risk of developing destructive behavior, therefore extended psychological support has to be considered for these patients