title: The impact of epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis on women's life: a qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the experience of ovarian cancer patients from symptoms complained before diagnosis until the impact of ovarian cancer diagnosis perceived by women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used the Psychological General Well being Index (PGWBI) and a semi-structured interview to measure the overall well being of 39 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the period 2005-2010 at a secondary care hospital in northern Italy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PGWBI showed that the majority of the women reported general stress. On the semi-structured interview, 95% of women reported having symptoms and 69% reported a stressful event prior to diagnosis. More than 50% of women reported changes concerning life course. Almost all reported that their primary concerns had to do with the surgical scar, weight gain, and hair loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ovarian cancer diagnosis has a very stressful effect on the quality of life. Early assessment of psychological problems must be an integral part of the therapeutic pathway. Gynaecologists must provide clear and useful information regarding the disease itself as well as regarding correlated symptom relief.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mangone
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Mandato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tromellini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abrate
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires