title: An investigation of the role of sense of coherence in predicting survival among Brazilians with head and neck cancer.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that people with head and neck (H&N) cancer with higher sense of coherence (SOC) have longer survival than those with lower SOC. A hospital-based prospective study of 162 subjects with newly diagnosed H&N cancer was conducted. Sense of coherence (SOC) was evaluated at baseline using the 13-item "Orientation to Life" questionnaire. Out of 162 subjects recruited at baseline, 152 were followed for up to 39 months from cancer diagnosis. One-year survival status was obtained for 140 subjects. No association was found between SOC and either 1-year survival status or survival length. The results of this study indicate that a high SOC, compared to lower SOC, does not seem to improve 1-year survival or survival length among this sample of Brazilians with H&N cancer.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, 3640 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B2. Larissa.vilela@mail.mcgill.ca <Larissa.vilela@mail.mcgill.ca>
authors.forename: Larissa D D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires