title: The role of spirituality and religious coping in the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative radiation therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  National palliative care guidelines outline spiritual care as a domain of palliative care, yet patients' religiousness and/or spirituality (R/S) are underappreciated in the palliative oncology setting. Among patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative radiation therapy (RT), this study aims to characterize patient spirituality, religiousness, and religious coping; examine the relationships of these variables to quality of life (QOL); and assess patients' perceptions of spiritual care in the cancer care setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a multisite, cross-sectional survey of 69 patients with advanced cancer (response rate = 73%) receiving palliative RT. Scripted interviews assessed patient spirituality, religiousness, religious coping, QOL (McGill QOL Questionnaire), and perceptions of the importance of attention to spiritual needs by health providers. Multivariable models assessed the relationships of patient spirituality and R/S coping to patient QOL, controlling for other significant predictors of QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most participants (84%) indicated reliance on R/S beliefs to cope with cancer. Patient spirituality and religious coping were associated with improved QOL in multivariable analyses (β = 10.57, P < .001 and β = 1.28, P = .01, respectively). Most patients considered attention to spiritual concerns an important part of cancer care by physicians (87%) and nurses (85%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limitations include a small sample size, a cross-sectional study design, and a limited proportion of nonwhite participants (15%) from one US region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients receiving palliative RT rely on R/S beliefs to cope with advanced cancer. Furthermore, spirituality and religious coping are contributors to better QOL. These findings highlight the importance of spiritual care in advanced cancer care.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Mounica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallurupalli
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lauderdale
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Balboni
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Andrea K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kachnic
authors.forename: Tyler J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Vanderweele
authors.forename: Tracy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Balboni
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012067:Religion; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D029181:Spirituality
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