Acceptance of illness and satisfaction with the life of the patient after penectomy

Abstract

Penile cancer is a rare malignant neoplasm, occurring mainly in men in their sixties and seventies. The consequences of treatment often include a severely disturbed perception of one’s body image, lowered self-esteem and difficulties in daily functioning, which can result in reduced satisfaction with further life. This study aimed to assess the life satisfaction and level of acceptance of illness of a 42-year-old patient after penectomy in the course of cancer. The following tools were applied in the study: the authors’ own questionnaire, the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). The patient surveyed scored 38 out of 40 on the AIS scale, indicating that he accepted his illness, while on the SWLS scale, he scored the maximum number of points indicating a high overall sense of satisfaction with life. The patient did not report any difficulties in terms of daily functioning resulting from the diagnosed disease and the treatment administered.