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vant endpoint also in psycho-oncological interventionslUdies.

'fhe purpose of the current paper is to critically examineIhe contribution of quality of Jife research to assessing theresults of oncological treatment both in terms of cIassicalmedical approaches as well as psychosocial approaches.

Coping modes and adaptivity in cancer palients

EdgarHeim

Ulliversity 01 Bern, Switzerland

It is generalIy assumed nowadays that coping ís bestexplained as a transactional proeess. The potentiaI copingrepertoire are broad, eomplex and dynamic. Coping mustbe understood in terms of differing and sometimes con­tlicling goals. One stralegy to study coping and caneer isto study its mediating effeet on the somatie proeess as theprimary slressor. In contrast the one here referred to un­derstands the different psychosociaI demands as dependantvariables of the somatic course oe secondary stressorswith varying goals over time. Thus coping may be seen ashaving a preventive, buffering or restoring effect onpsychosocial adaptation.

A survey of aH controlled studies available over the last15 years will allow for sorne conclusions on appropriateversus inappropriate coping in adaptation to caneer. Insuccessful or 'good' coping an active. tackling behaviourby the patient combined with a supportive and responsiveenvironment is central. Realistic, problem-analysis com­bined with aceepting conditions beyond one's control isalso important. In 'bad' or unfavourable coping resigna­tion/fatalism, a repressive, denying attitude and socialwithdrawal are predominant.

Effects of different relaxalion techniques onparticular aspects of quality of Iife (QoL) of femalebreast cancer patients

S. Kresi, S. Moller, l. Florill', C. Vogele'

JDep. 01 Ps)'chology, Philipps-UniversitiitMarburg; )RehahilitationszeJJtrlllll Urbaclttal. Neukirchen,Germany

This study was carried out to examine relaxation effects onQoL of breast caneer patients during rehabilitation.

69 breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to auto~

genic training (An, progressive relaxation (PR) or mindmachine (MM). AH received six sessions of relaxationtraining. Standardized questionnaires were used to opera­tionalize QoL at four defined measurement points beforeand after training. Analyses of variance were applied.

Throughout the whole examination period AT caused thestrongest amelioration, relaxation by MM a worsening ofeertain aspeets of eurrent physical well-being. Al the endof the intervention and at the 4th point of measurementparticipanls of active relaxalion leehniques (AT, PR)evaluated differenl aspeets of their physical and psyeho­logical well-being more positive than patients relaxingby a MM. Betwecn terminadon of supervised sessions and

the end of this study a decrease in several areas of well­being was observed in aU groups.

Relaxation techniques have positive short-term effects onthe QoL of breast caneer patients. Furthermore resultspoint to a differential indication. Active relaxation lech­niques should be preferred due to their long-term effects.

Qualíty of the Iife (QoL) of elderly patients withHodgkin's Oisease (HO)

Nikita Schklovsky-Kordi, Marina Kalmykova, MarinaIvaschkina

Dpt. 01 Haemotology and 11Ilensive care, National Celllrelor Haemotology, Moscow, Russia

For QoL estimation health, socio-economic situation.family circumstances, professional activity, personalcontacts and sorne other scaIes were measured togetherwith goaIs evaluation according the B. Ruppkin's methodsand adapted fonn of EüRTC - H8-LQ .

50 patients with HD (7 of them were more eIder than 55years old), who had received treatment according to theprotocols MQPP - ABVD and Stanford during the years1996 to 1997 (HO' pIS), and 25 healthy subjeets fmmcontrol group (CG) (7 of them were more elder than 55years old) were inquired by Ruppkin's questionnaire andEüRTC - H8-LQ.

Al! 7 eider HD' pts eslimaled thelr QoL as high, but only 2subjeels fmm ca marked QoL as high, and 5 as middle. 1nboth the groups of elder subjects sphere of health \Vasmost important. But in the groups of aduIt, but not oldhealthy subjects family and professionaI sphere are mostimportant, but "health" \Vas in the lasl place. Elderly 00'pts are more salisfied by theje family, social, economic,professional status eompared to the healthy ca of thesame age.

Que conclusion are: a) The satisfaetion of the Jife besideselder HD' pIS Is higher lhan In CG of the same age; b) Thefactor tlheaUh" is in the first place in both groups; c) Inthe risk situation value motives, which are related withother spheres of QoL and mark out the motive "health" asmain, are reduced.

Assessing anxiety and depression with HAO scalein a Spanish cancer population: a preliminaryvalidation study

S. López-Roig, M. C. Tero/, M. C. Neipp, l. Leyda, B.Massutfl, C. PicóJ, M. A. Pastor

Health Psychology Department, Faculty 01 Medicine,U"iversity Mlguel Hernández. San Juan, Spaitl,'JOncology Unit, Hospital General de Alicante, Spain

The Hospital Anxiety and Oepression Seale (HAO) isbeing used increasingly with patients as an instrument toassess emotional responses lo illness. We have carried outa study of psychornetric properties in a normal Spanishpopulation showing it as an easy and understandable scaleto be used. However. studies with illness populations have