Fear of Cancer and Influencing Factors in Women with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 19 Sayı: 1, 117 - 127, 15.01.2026

Hamide Arslan Tarus , Gönül Kurt , Zekiye Turan , Cansel Huşgiz

https://doi.org/10.46483/jnef.1517672

Öz

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common symptom observed in both reproductive and menopausal phases. It can adversely affect women physically, socially, economically, and psychologically.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine cancer fear and affecting factors in women with AUB.
Method: This descriptive study was conducted in gynecology centre of a training and research hospital. The study included 102 women with AUB. Data were collected by using “Participant Description Questionnaire” and “Cancer Worry Scale (CWS)”. The data were analyzed with SPSS 22.00. Mann Whitney-U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman correlation test were used to evaluate the data.
Results: In this study, the mean age of women was 49.5±11.5 and 47.1% were in menopause. It was determined that 30 %of women had menorrhea and 70.6 % did not know the cause of bleeding. Women's AUB has an average of 24.0±32.1 days and an average of 4.1±2.5 pad bleeding per day. Women's CWS total score average was 17.6±4.2. A statistically significant difference was found between the conditions of knowing the cause of the AUB (p <0.001) and using contraceptive methods (p <0.05) and the total score of CWS.
Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that the cancer fear of the women was moderate. It was observed that cancer fear was more common in women who did not know the cause of AUB and used contraceptive methods. Identifying cancer fear and affecting factors in women with AUB is very important in terms of providing these women with support and planning education and counseling services for cancer fear.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Abnormal uterine bleeding , cancer , cancer fear

Anormal Uterin Kanamalı Kadınlarda Kanser Korkusu ve Etkileyen Faktörler

Öz

Giriş: Anormal uterin kanama (AUK), hem üreme çağında hem de menopozal dönemde görülen yaygın bir semptomdur. Kadınları fiziksel, sosyal, ekonomik ve psikolojik açıdan olumsuz olarak etkileyebilmektedir.
Amaç: Bu araştırma ile AUK’u olan kadınların kanser korkusu ve bu durumu etkileyen faktörlerin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır.
Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı tipteki bu çalışma, bir eğitim araştırma hastanesinin kadın hastalıkları kliniğinde yürütülmüştür. Araştırma AUK’u olan 102 kadın ile yürütülmüştür. Verilerin toplanmasında “Katılımcı Tanılama Formu” ve “Kanser Kaygı Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırma verileri SPSS 22.0 ile işlenmiş ve analiz edilmiştir. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde Mann Whitney-U testi, Kruskal-Wallis testi ve Spearman korelasyon testi kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Araştırma kapsamındaki kadınların yaş ortalaması 49.5±11.5 olup, % 47.1’i menopozdadır. Kadınların %30’unun ağır menstrual kanamasının olduğu ve %70.6’sının kanama nedenini bilmediği belirlenmiştir. Kadınların ortalama 24.0±32.1 gündür AUK’unun sürdüğü ve günde ortalama 4.1±2.5 ped kullandıkları saptanmıştır. Kadınların Kanser Kaygı Ölçeği toplam puan ortalaması 17.6±4.2’dir. Kadınların AUK nedenini bilme (p<0.001) ve kontraseptif yöntem kullanma (p<0.05) durumları ile Kanser Kaygı Ölçeği toplam puanı arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunmuştur.
Sonuç: Araştırma kapsamındaki kadınların kanser korkusunun orta düzeyde olduğu söylenebilir. AUK nedenini bilmeyen ve kontraseptif yöntem kullanan kadınlarda kanser korkusunun daha fazla olduğu bulunmuştur. AUK’u olan kadınlarda kanser korkusu ve etkileyen faktörlerin belirlenmesi, bu kadınlara kanser korkusuna yönelik destek sağlanması, eğitim ve danışmanlık hizmetlerinin planlanması açısından oldukça önemlidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Anormal uterin kanama , kanser , kanser korkusu

Kaynakça

• American Cancer Society. (2020). How exercise can lower cancer risk. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/latest-news/how-exercise-can-lower-cancer-risk.html
• Ansari A, Urooj U. (2020). Study of causes behind abnormal uterine bleeding according to PALM-COEIN classification at a tertiary care hospital. JPMA, 70(1), 154-157.
• Averbach S, Silverberg MJ, Leyden W, Smith-McCune K, Raine-Bennett T, Sawaya GF. (2018). Recent intrauterine device use and the risk of precancerous cervical lesions and cervical cancer. Contraception, 98(2), 130-134.
• Aydın R, Karakısla FS, Kabukcuoğlu K. (2023). Determination of the relationship between gynecological cancer awareness and fear of cancer in women using social media and the affecting factors. Cancer Nursing, 10-1097.
• Benetti-Pinto CL, de Sá Rosa ACJ, Yela DA, Júnior JMS. (2017). Abnormal uterine bleeding. Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia/RBGO Gynecology and Obstetrics, 39(07), 358-368.
• Behera S, Gomathi B, Behera K. (2023). Sleep quality and depression among women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), International Journal of Nursing Education, 15(2), 60-64.
• Custers JA, van den Berg SW, van Laarhoven HW, Bleiker EM, Gielissen MF, Prins JB. (2014). The Cancer Fear Scale: detecting fear of recurrence in breast cancer survivors. Cancer Nursing, 37(1), E44-E50.
• Chodankar R, Critchley HO. (2019). Abnormal uterine bleeding (including PALM COEIN classification). Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine, 29 (4), 98-104.
• Clarke MA, Long BJ, Sherman ME, Lemens MA, Podratz KC, Hopkins MR et al. (2020). A prospective clinical cohort study of women at increased risk for endometrial cancer. Gynecologic Oncology, 156(1), 169-177.
• Davis E, Sparzak PB. (2023). Abnormal uterine bleeding. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls.
• Deliktas Demirci, A., Avci, M., & Kabukcuoglu, K. (2025). Fear of cancer levels of women who applied cervical cancer screening: a cross-sectional study of the effects of health beliefs related to cervical cancer and Pap- Smear test. Cancer Causes & Control, 1-10.
• Gerema U, Kene K, Abera D, Adugna T, Nigussie M, Dereje D et al. (2022). Abnormal uterine bleeding and associated factors among reproductive age women in Jimma town, Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia. Women's Health, 18, 17455057221077577.
• Iniyaval R, Jayanthi B, Lavanya S, Renuka K. A Study to Assess the Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding among Women Admitted in MGMCRI from January to December 2019.PonJ Nurs 2021;14(1):8–10.
• İlhan Oruç N, Göksever Çelik H, Gündüz N, Yıldırım G. (2019). Evaluation of the patients with abnormal uterine bleeding based on PALM-COEIN classification. Istanbul Medical Journal, 20(5), 477–481.
• Jose AA, Daniel M, Phansalkar MD. (2023). Hysteropathological correlation in abnormal uterine bleeding in a tertiary care hospital in south India. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India, 1-8.
• Kaunitz AM. (2024). Patient education: Abnormal uterine bleeding (Beyond the Basics). Uptodate.
• Kitahara Y, Hiraike O, Ishikawa H, Kugu K, Takai Y, Yoshino O et al. (2023). National survey of abnormal uterine bleeding according to the FIGO classification in Japan. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 49(1), 321-330.
• Loopik DL, IntHout J, Melchers WJ, Massuger LF, Bekkers RL, Siebers AG. (2020). Oral contraceptive and intrauterine device use and the risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III or worse: a population- based study. European Journal of Cancer, 124, 102-109.
• Marnach ML, Laughlin-Tommaso SK. (2019). Evaluation and management of abnormal uterine bleeding. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 94 (2), 326-335.
• Mazzocco K, Masiero M, Carriero MC, Pravettoni G. (2019). The role of emotions in cancer patients’ decision- making. Ecancermedicalscience, 13, 914.
• Munro MG, Critchley HO, Fraser IS. (2011). The FIGO classification of causes of abnormal uterine bleeding: Malcolm G. Munro, Hilary OD Crithcley, Ian S. Fraser, for the FIGO working group on menstrual disorders. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 113(1), 1-2.
• Munro MG, Critchley H, Fraser IS. (2017). Research and clinical management for women with abnormal uterine bleeding in the reproductive years: More than PALM-COEIN. BJOG, 124(2), 185-189.
• Munro MG. (2017). Practical aspects of the two FIGO systems for management of abnormal uterine bleeding in the reproductive years. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 40, 3-22.
• Munro MG, Critchley HOD, Fraser IS, Haththotuwa R, Kriplani A, Bahamondes L et al. (2018). The two FIGO systems for normal and abnormal uterine bleeding symptoms and classification of causes of abnormal uterine bleeding in the reproductive years: 2018 revisions. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 143(3), 393-408.
• Mutakha GS, Mwaliko E, Kirwa P. (2020). Clinical bleeding patterns and management techniques of abnormal uterine bleeding at a teaching and referral hospital in Western Kenya. PloS one, 15(12), e0243166.
• National Cancer Institute, (2018). Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk. https://www.cancer.gov/about- cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet#how-could-oral- contraceptives-influence-cancer-risk
• National Cancer Institute. (2023). Surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program, cancer stat facts: uterine cancer. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/corp.html
• Özberk H, Mete S, Arı FG, Yetkin S, Özeren M, Şahin Z et al. (2022). Comparison of endometrial biopsy results in women with abnormal uterine bleeding according to the menopausal status. Kocatepe Medical Journal, 23(2), 213-218.
• Schrager, 2024. https://1da29564ffc94212c5733ac3ef259e6b1ca3e3c0.vetisonline.com/#!/content/book/3- s2.0-B9780443121517002772
• Tahseen H, Khokhar S, Atif N, Qurban S, Khurshid HN, Maqsud M. (2023). Histopathological diagnosis of hysterectomy specimens in abnormal uterine bleeding. Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences, 17(04), 232-232.
• T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı Sağlık İstatistikleri Yıllığı. (2021). Sağlık Bakanlığı Yayın No: 1260. https://dosyasb.saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/45316/0/siy2021-turkcepdf.pdf
• Uner FO, Korukcu OA. (2020). Prevalence and psychometric study on fear of cancer in women with abnormal cervical cytology undergoing colposcopy. PsychoOncology, 29(11),1850-1855
• Vitale, S. G., Watrowski, R., Barra, F., D’Alterio, M. N., Carugno, J., Sathyapalan, T., ... & Angioni, S. (2022). Abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopausal women: the role of hysteroscopy and its impact on quality of life and sexuality. Diagnostics, 12(5), 1176.
• Wouk N, Helton M. (2019). Abnormal uterine bleeding in premenopausal women. American Family Physician, 99(7), 435-443.