Will to live in cancer patients receiving palliative care

Authors

Abstract

The will to live is a complex dimension in illness and at the end of life, related to multiple factors. This study
aimed to analyze the prevalence of the will to live and associated factors in cancer patients receiving
palliative care. The longitudinal study used a structured script for socioepidemiological assessment; the
Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale; the Social Support Scale; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale;
the Herth Hope Scale; and the Analogical Will to Live Scale. It was found that none of the sociodemographic
variables influenced the will to live. People who had increased social support in the affective dimension had
a reduction in the will to live at T1 (p=0.047); those who had low social interaction had a low will to live at
T2 (p=0.011). In terms of hope, those who started with increased scores had a reduction in the will to live
from T1 to T2 (p=0.011), but those who maintained high scores at T2 maintained a high will to live (p=0.008).

Keywords:

Palliative care. Neoplasms. Social support. Anxiety. Depression. Hope. Volition.

Author Biographies

Andreza Kelly Cardoso da Silva Soares, Instituto do Câncer do Ceará, Fortaleza/CE, Brasil.

Andreza Kelly Cardoso da Silva Soares – Mestre – andrezakcs2@gmail.com
0000-0003-3000-3651

Paulo Goberlanio de Barros Silva, Instituto do Câncer do Ceará, Fortaleza/CE, Brasil.

Paulo Goberlânio Barros Silva – Doutor – paulo.silva@icc.org.br
0000-0002-1513-9027

Tallys Newton Fernandes de Matos, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza/CE, Brasil.

Tallys Newton Fernandes de Matos – Doutor – tallysnfm@gmail.com
0000-0001-6774-1733

Marcelo Gurgel Carlos da Silva, Instituto do Câncer do Ceará, Fortaleza/CE, Brasil.

Marcelo Gurgel Carlos da Silva – Doutor – marcelo.gurgel@uece.br
0000-0003-4030-1206

Vol. 34 (2026): Continuous publication

Published:

2026-07-15

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-803420263992PT

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How to Cite

1.
Kelly Cardoso da Silva Soares A, Silva PG de B, Newton Fernandes de Matos T, Gurgel Carlos da Silva M. Will to live in cancer patients receiving palliative care. Rev. Bioét. [Internet]. 2026 Jul. 15 [cited 2026 Jul. 17];34. Available from: https://revistabioetica.cfm.org.br/revista_bioetica/article/view/3992

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