Background: Cervical cancer is the most leading cause of death in developing countries. The women diagnosed with cervical cancer in the advance stadium, often develops extraordinary emotional stress. Psychotherapy administration can exert positive effect.
Objective: To analyze the difference of cortisol level in advanced-stage cervical cancer patient having received reality psychotherapy intervention compared with standard therapy.
Method: Experimental double blind non randomized clinical trial post test group design. The 30 subjects of research were divided into 2 groups (standard therapy without realty psychotherapy and standard therapy reality psychotherapy intervention) and each group consisted of 15 subjects. This research was conducted in obstetric and gynecology ward and polyclinic of dr. Moewardi Local General Hospital of Surakarta and Prodia Laboratory, from July to September 2014.
Result: The distribution of cortisol level mean value in cervical cancer patient group receiving chemoradiation with reality psychotherapy seemed to be lower (0.97 ± 0.46 mg/dL), then that in the group without reality psychotherapy (11.54 ±7.13 mg/dL). From the t-test analysis, it could be seen that there was a significant difference of cortisol level in cervical cancer patient group receiving chemoradiation with reality psychotherapy and the group without reality psychotherapy with p value = 0.000 (< 0.05).
Conclusion: There was a significantly decreasing serum cortisol level in the group receiving standard therapy with reality psychotherapy intervention. The administration of reality psychotherapy effectively lowered the serum cortisol level in the advanced stage-cervical cancer patient.
Keywords: Cortisol, reality psychotherapy, advanced stadium-cervical cancer.