Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Background: Considering the role of personality and cognitive emotion regulation strategies employed in the etiology and pathogenesis of cancer, this study was conducted with the aim of comparing personality and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with gastric and lung cancer with normal individuals.

Methods: A comparative study of causal cancer patients, in which 100 cancer patients (50 gastric and 50 lung) and 50 healthy individuals, matched with the patient groups were selected. Data were gathered via Personality inventory (NEO-FFI) questionnaire, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies (MAI) which were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance.

Results: Based on the findings, of the three groups of variables, there were significant differences in cognitive emotion regulation and its components, such that cancer patients use to a greater extent the non- adaptive strategies (catastrophizing their casting blame, rumination and blaming others) than the normal individuals. However the three groups were not significantly different in regard to character.

Conclusion: The findings of this study not only pointed to the complexity of the nature of cancer, but also to a very important confounding factor in developing different types of cancer which is cognitive emotion regulation strategies in people with cancer and normal individuals.