Disease-related stress coping and quality of life in patients with surgically treated spinal tumors

Relevance. The relevance is determined by the need to study quality of life over time in patients with spinal tumors during surgical treatment, as well as to study relationships between quality of life and psychological characteristics, including those responsible for adaptation to a disease, i.e. coping mechanisms (coping strategies and resources).
Intention. To study the dynamics of the main quality-of-life parameters in patients with spinal tumors in the perioperative period, as well as to assess relationships between quality-of-life parameters and the psychological mechanisms of disease-related stress coping.
Methodology. Quality-of-life parameters were studied over time (before and after surgery) in 62 patients with various spinal tumors (average age 55 years; 22 males [35.5 %]) treated at the Department of Vertebral Surgery of N.N. Blokhin National Research Center of Oncology. The relationships were studied between patients’ quality of life in the early postoperative period and their disease-related stress coping strategies and resources. The following tests were used: the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), questionnaires for studying Quality of Life in oncological disease (QLQ C-30), spine tumors (SOSG OQ), the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ), the Big Five Personality Test and the Purpose-in-Life Test.
Results and Discussion. 23 of 29 studied quality-of-life parameters improved statistically significantly or tended to improve in the post- vs preoperative period, including the general index of health and quality of life, physical, emotional, social and cognitive activity, as well as symptoms of somatic distress (except an increased index of neurological dysfunction). Relationships were revealed between quality-of-life parameters and all the coping-related psychodiagnostic indices (except the “Extraversion” scale). Higher quality-of-life indices positively correlated with mature personality (internality, activity, meaningful goals, seeking social support, etc.). Less mature personality and less effective coping strategies were associated with more pronounced somatic symptoms and their impact on the quality of life in patients.
Conclusion. The results of this study can help develop more targeted and individualized programs of psychological assistance and social rehabilitation for patients with spinal tumors.

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