A cross-sectional comparison study of cognitive and emotional well-being in oral cancer patients

The main aim of this study was to establish whether oral cancer patients were at risk of long-term problems with adaptation, whilst investigating contributory factors using a framework of Subjective Well-Being. Three samples of patients treated for either oral cancer (n = 115); throat cancer (n = 47), or benign conditions of the salivary gland (n = 33) were recruited into a cross-sectional, postal questionnaire study. A gender and age matched healthy normative sample (n = 115) was recruited for comparison purposes. Measures included The Satisfaction with Life Scale, the General Health Survey (SF-12), Life Orientation Test and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Patients with oral cancer demonstrated similar levels of cognitive and emotional well-being as the other samples. Time since treatment and the majority of clinical and treatment related factors had no effect on cognitive and emotional adaptation in any of the patient samples.