Levels of depression and self-esteem in women with cancer of the endometrium and cervix receiving chemotherapy treatment in Türkiye.

OBJECTIVE: Endometrium and cervical cancer is a common and important health problem that affects women in many physical, emotional and psychological aspects. This study aimed to determine the levels of depression and self-esteem in women with endometrial and cervical cancer receiving chemotherapy, determine the factors affecting them, and examine the relationship between the levels of depression and self-esteem. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 158 women who came to the gynecology-oncology policlinic and chemotherapy unit of a training and research hospital in Izmir, western Türkiye, between April 2022 and April 2023. Data were collected with the "Descriptive Information Form", "Beck Depression Inventory" and "Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale". Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to analyse the association between the study variables. RESULTS: In this study, 52.5% of women were diagnosed with endometrial cancer and 47.5% with cervical cancer. Beck Depression Inventory mean total score was 11.28 ±â€¯6.35, and 20.3% of them were at risk of depression (BDI ≥ 17). Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale mean total score was 21.06 ±â€¯3.85, and 97.5% of them had high self-esteem. There was a statistically significant and strong negative correlation between the mean total scores of the Beck Depression Inventory and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (r = 0.723; p < 0.05). It was determined that an increase in the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale mean total score by 1 unit decreased the Beck Depression Inventory mean total score by 1.2 units and was responsible for 52% of the variance (B = -1.192; R2 = 0.523). CONCLUSION: It was determined that one-fifth of women experienced moderate/severe depression and the majority of them had high self-esteem. The increase in women's depression levels decreased their self-esteem. Health professionals and oncology nurses should perform screenings to determine the depression and self-esteem levels of women with endometrial and cervical cancer and provide necessary education, counseling, and care to women.

Sexual quality of life between healthy women and women with gynecological cancer: Results of a hospital-based case-control study in Türkiye.

BACKGROUND: Gynecological cancers among women were both chronic and vitally health problems. The increasing prevalence of women with surviving gynecological cancers and the receiving treatments of cancer negatively affected the sexual quality of life. AIM: The study was conducted to determine the sexual quality of life of healthy women and women with gynecological cancer and to determine the predictors of sexual quality of life in women with gynecological cancer. METHODS: The research is a hospital-based case-control study was conducted. The study was carried out with 65 patients with histologically confirmed gynecological cancer were compared with 75 controls, who were admitted to the different departments of the same hospital in the Izmir, in western Türkiye. RESULTS: The Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire score (SQOL) of cases was 60.12 ± 9.01 and controls was 78.92 ± 7.08. SQOL scores of cases were significantly lower than controls (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis results showed that age (B = -0.295, p = 0.072), working (B = 4.981, p = 0.016), smoking (B = -4.590, p = 0.035), diagnosed with cervical cancer (B = -4.214, p = 0.045), and receiving chemotherapy (B = -4.722, p = 0.028) were associated with sexual quality of life in women with gynecological cancer (p < 0.05, R2 : 0.40). CONCLUSION: Women with gynecological cancer had lower quality of sex life compared with healthy women. Gynecological cancers negatively affect women's sexual quality of life. Health professionals (especially nurses) should be aware of the potential problems that women with gynecological cancer may experience with their sexual lives. They should develop coping strategies and offer solutions for the problems experienced by women with gynecological cancer.