PSYCHOLOGICAL RISK INDICATOR IN ONCOLOGY (PRIO): APPLICATION IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER

There is growing recognition that psycho-oncology is an important component of the comprehensive care of people diagnosed with cancer. The Psychological Risk Indicator in Oncology (PRIO) is a psychological screening instrument based on coping strategies, social support, perception ofillness, negative affectivity and psychological distress, that aims to identify cancer patients at risk for poor adjustment, allowing early referral for psychological counseling. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate psychological, behavioral and social factors that may influence psychological distress in patients with the early onset of adjuvant in breast cancer. Method: The present study took place in a private cancer center in Rio de Janeiro between June 2018 and May 2019. All patients who had breast disease and who were admitted to chemotherapy were included in this study. The PRIO score was applied to all patients by psychosocial team care and the main characteristics were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 113 patients were included. One hundred percent of the patients were of female gender, all residing in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the median age was 49 (47-67) years. A total of 36 patients (32%) presented poor adjustment risk. The five PRIO factors were identified: negative perception of illness (n = 13; 36%), psychological distress (n = 9; 25%), emotional social support (n = 7; 19%), active coping (n = 4; 11%), and instrumental social support (n = 3; 9%). Five patients (14%) presented two or more PRIO factors identified. Conclusions: In the present study we evaluated the association of PRIO score with risk of poor adjustment in breast cancer patients. Psychiatric morbidity in patients with cancer is a common characteristic, observed in 32% of patients. The study indicates that the negative perception of illness was the most affected PRIO factor. The high level of negative perception contributes to greater difficulty in adhering to cancer treatment. Thus, the PRIO can contribute to psychological screening, identifying patients at risk of poor adaptation and favoring its attendance in psychological services, which can contribute to the quality of care provided in oncology.

 

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No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
23 October 2019