Personality, inner experience and compliance in advanced cancer patients treated with external pumps

The presence of portable pumps for protracted infusional chemotherapy in metastatic solid tumors at an advanced stage determines the need to evaluate psychologically the inner experience of the patients in relation to this therapeutic modality. The objective of the study were to analyze personality variables (coping and awareness), inner experience variables (acceptance and expectations) and the compliance of the patients during repeated courses of therapy. In addition we evaluated the influence of sex, age, level of education and response to treatment in relation to these variables. From February 1992 to March 1994 we evaluated 50 metastatic patients with a psycho-dynamic interview at the 1st, 3rd, 6th and the 9th course of therapy. The data obtained showed a positive trend for all the variables examined and in all the subgroups (age, sex, level of education, response) up to the 6th course. After the 6th course, personality variables remained stable, yet a drop in variables related to inner experience and compliance was observed in the whole group. While the personality variables remain constant in all patients, a decrease of acceptance and expectation was observed in patients non responding to therapy for their tumor, a trend which becomes significative at the 9th course regards expectation. The use of a psycho-dynamic interview allowed us to evaluate the effect of treatment on psychological variables and compliance to therapy. The length of treatment and the response to treatment seem to influence the more profound inner experiences of the patients.