İmmünoterapi Alan Kanser Hastalarında İlaç Tedavisine İnancı Etkileyen Faktörlerin Belirlenmesi

Authors : Betül Tosun, Canan Pörücü, Nuri Karadurmuş, Nursemin Ünal

Pages : 251-259

Doi:10.31067/acusaglik.850778

View : 34 | Download : 7

Publication Date : 2021-04-01

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Purpose:The aim of this study was to determine the beliefs about medications and the affecting factors in patients with cancer having immunotherapy treatment. Patients and Methods:The sample of this descriptive study consisted of patients (n = 85) who were admitted to the outpatient medical oncology clinic of an education and research hospital between December 2018-May 2019. Data were collected using the patient information form and the Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire. Data were analysed by SPSS for Windows 22.00 package program. p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The mean age of the participants was 58.80±14.23 years, 50.6% were female, 56.5% had stage IV cancer and 74.1% had metastasis. More than half of the patients (54.1%) experienced adverse effects of immunotherapy. It was found that the "Specific Concern” subscale scores of the patients over 65 years were lower than the younger patients (t = 2.175, p = 0.032). The mean "Specific Necessity” subscale scores of the patients with metastasis were higher than those without metastasis (z = -2.185, p = 0.029). It was found that the mean "General Harm” and "General Overuse” subscale scores of the patients who had adverse effects were higher than the patients who did not experience adverse effects (z = -1.966, p = 0.049; z = -2.599, p = 0.009, respectively). Conclusion:Elderly patients with cancer were less concerned about immunotherapy, patients with metastasis believed that immunotherapy medications were necessary, and patients who had adverse effects during immunotherapy treatment believed that medications were harmful and overused.
Keywords : Immunotherapy, treatment, medication belief, cancer