Gender issues in patients with extremity soft-tissue sarcoma: a pilot study.

Soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) affects men and women with equal frequency and commonly presents as an asymptomatic mass in patients 40 to 50 years of age. Recent study has identified physical, emotional, and psychological factors associated with a diagnosis of malignancy, but the tissues affecting the STS patient population may differ from those of more common cancers due to physical disability secondary to treatment. Research to date has not dealt specifically with gender differences in the reaction and adaptation to the cancer diagnosis. This pilot study was designed to evaluate the treatment experiences of five males and five females treated with surgery and radiation for STS of the thigh and followed posttreatment for at least 2 years. The open-ended interview was used to collect data, which was then subjected to a constant comparative analysis technique. The STS patients shared many concerns of cancer patients, with additional physical complaints. Physical symptoms were common to men and women, but women adapted more easily with explanation. Women feared losing life, family role, and relationships. Along with men, they also feared the losses of limb and career. For women, support included faith and sharing stories with others, whereas men preferred to deal with their illnesses individually and concealed emotions from loved ones. The perception of disease time frame was also distinct, with men adopting a fatalistic attitude and regarding their disease as an isolated episode. Women believed their condition was ongoing. Women need repeated information from several sources along with reassurance and increased social support, whereas men prefer the minimum of social support, requiring instead independence and extra attention to physical limitations. These results can improve STS patient treatment by increasing awareness in the patient, family, and medical team of the psychosocial issues that can be expected to arise.