PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION AFTER LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO RECIPIENTS AWARE OF THEIR CANCER

This study investigated the psychosocial adjustment in 40 patients who received orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for several endstage liver diseases, Twenty patients were grafted because they suffered fro m liver cancer as well as cirrhosis, Particular attention was paid to evaluating whether cancer could affect recipients' coping with transpl ant, Each patient underwent a semi-structured interview to obtain info rmation on their psychosocial life, relationship with the donor, organ acceptance and life expectancy, Interview was performed 1 year after transplantation. A psychodiagnostic evaluation was also performed usin g a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and a Human Fig ure Test. Psychosocial adaptation in everyday life following liver tra nsplantation seemed good in most of the patients, whatever the indicat ion for transplantation might be, It can be seen that by replacing the diseased organ a high percentage of oncological patients overcame the ir fear of cancer.