Patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasms show different states of health-related quality of life and different coping styles depending on the choice of therapy: findings from the CIN study

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the effects of type of therapy (conservative therapy vs conization) on the psychosocial well-being of patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade II (CIN II) in a prospective cross-sectional study designed to simplify future choice of therapy.

Patients and methods

In a cross-sectional study comparing 24 CIN II patients who were treated via conservative therapy with 17 CIN II patients who were treated via conization (not randomized), we examined the association between therapy type and psychosocial well-being after the treatment. Scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (prevalence of depression/anxiety), SF-12 (health-related quality of life (HRQoL)) and Brief COPE (coping mechanisms) questionnaires were compared between the two subgroups via nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-tests.

Results

The prevalence of depression/anxiety and mental HRQoL did not differ between patients undergoing conservative therapy and those undergoing conization but differed significantly from those of the healthy population. Regarding physical HRQoL and coping strategies, the conservative therapy subgroup achieved higher scores and better performance.

Conclusion

Patients with CIN II are at risk of developing depressive or anxiety symptoms. The choice of therapy seems to have an influence on physical HRQoL and coping strategies but not on depression/anxiety and mental HRQoL.

Keywords:

• cervical cancer
• coping styles
• health-related quality of life

Acknowledgment

Publication of this study is supported by the DFG open access fund for publishing of the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg.

Abbreviations

CIN, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; HRQoL, health related quality of life.

Ethical approval and informed consent

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the local ethics committee of the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, number 087/2016. All patients gave their written informed consent before participating in this study.

Consent for publication

All authors gave their consent for publication of this manuscript.

Data availability

The data of this study is available upon request to the first author (SK).

Author contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting and revising the article, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.