Cancer Stigma, Distress, and Cancer Coping in Relation to the Quality of Life Among Patients with Lung Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/

Objectives

Patients with lung cancer often experience impaired quality of life because of symptom burden and psychosocial difficulties. Cancer stigma and distress are associated with poorer quality of life, whereas adaptive coping may support psychological adjustment. This study examined the relationships among cancer stigma, distress, cancer coping, and quality of life and identified factors associated with quality of life in patients with lung cancer.

Methods

This cross-sectional correlational study included 168 patients with lung cancer receiving inpatient or outpatient care at a university hospital in the Republic of Korea. Data were collected from 1 August to 1 September 2025, using structured self-report questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression were performed.

Results

The mean scores for cancer stigma, distress, cancer coping, and quality of life were 46.43 ± 8.46, 4.49 ± 2.53, 56.43 ± 15.07, and 74.02 ± 14.93, respectively; 57.1% of participants reported clinically significant distress. Quality of life was negatively correlated with cancer stigma (r = -0.63, p < 0.001) and distress (r = -0.76, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with cancer coping (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Cancer coping, current activity level, and distress were independently associated with quality of life. The final model explained 75.2% of the variance, with cancer coping showing the largest standardized coefficient.

Conclusions

Better cancer coping, higher activity levels, and lower distress were associated with better quality of life. Psychosocial nursing care should support adaptive coping, functional activity, and distress management.