Cancer type, major determinant of mental distress in gyneco-mammary cancer patients undergoing antineoplastic treatment: cross-sectional analysis

Mental health disorders are common in cancer patients. However, these disorders are still underestimated in oncology. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of breast cancer and gynecological cancer on mental health disorders in women who have undergone nonsurgical antineoplastic treatment for gyneco-mammary cancer and to investigate the predictors of these mental disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on Moroccan women treated with nonsurgical treatment for breast or gynecological cancer (N=200). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Body Image Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, were used. RESULTS: The type of cancer had a significant effect on mental health disorders but not the age. Women with breast cancer had significantly more mental health problems than women with gynecological cancer (P-values ​​<0.01). The predictive model of anxiety included the effects of the following variables: having a lower school level and an advanced tumor stage. While the predictive model of depression included advanced tumor stage and disease recurrence. For poor sleep quality, the variables included were: not having an occupation and having a lower monthly income. The variables that predicted body image dissatisfaction were: being younger, being unmarried, and living in a rural area. CONCLUSION: High mental distress in women with breast cancer and gynecological cancer is favored by several predictive factors. The implementation of a protocol for the assessment and management of distress is necessary in oncology departments.