Abstract:

Objective To investigate the self⁃perceived burden（SPB）of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma（NPC）undergoing proton and heavy ion radiotherapy，to identify the groups that are prone to the prob⁃ lem and provide coping strategies for improving the psychological health of patients. Methods From June 2020 to June 2021，NPC patients admitted to Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center were selected by convenient sam⁃ pling，and required to complete a self⁃designed general information questionnaire and the SPB scale. Results The mean score of SPB in the 120 patients with NPC was（19.72 ± 7.96），and nearly three⁃fifths of patients had mild SPB. Logistic regression analysis showed that male patients（OR = 3.177，P = 0.037），with poor affordability of medical expenses（OR = 6.657，P = 0.014），treated with radiotherapy combined with target therapy or immuno⁃ therapy（OR = 7.947，P = 0.038）were at risk of moderate to high levels of SPB. Conclusion Most NPC patients treated with proton and heavy ion radiotherapy had mild to moderate SPB. However，the high ⁃ risk groups of SPB should not be ignored. It is recommended to enhance their psychological resilience through intervention measures such as psychological counselling and health education，as well as increasing social support and improving medical security.

Key words: proton and heavy ion,  , radiotherapy,  , nasopharyngeal carcinoma,  , self?perceived burden