AccScience Publishing / EJMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EJMO026240274
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Association of tumor localization and treatment stage with anxiety and depression in patients with malignant tumors of the maxillofacial region

Oleksandr Belikov1* ,  Oleksandra Roshchuk1 ,  Nataliia Belikova1 ,  Ruslan Iakymenko2 ,  Yaroslav Karavan1 ,  Rauf Jafarov3 ,  Nataliia Lytovchenko4 ,  Liudmyla Belikova5 ,  Maksym Bernik6 ,  Roman Kostenko7
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1 Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Bukovinian State Medical University Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
2 Department of Dentistry, Private Higher Education Institution "University of Medicine and Social Sciences", Kharkiv, Ukraine
3 Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Nakhichivan State University, Nakhichivan, AZ, Azerbaijan
4 Department of Oral Surgery, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kiev, Ukraine
5 Private Dental Practice, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
6 Chernivtsi Military Hospital, Chernivtsi Region, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
7 Department of Dentistry, Donetsk National Medical University, Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine
EJMO, 026240274 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO026240274
Received: 13 June 2026 | Revised: 2 August 2026 | Accepted: 21 August 2026 | Published online: 28 August 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Introduction: Despite advances in psycho-oncology, limited evidence is available regarding changes in the psychoemotional status of patients with malignant tumors of the maxillofacial region across different stages of treatment and rehabilitation, particularly in relation to tumor localization and the severity of functional and aesthetic impairments.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics of anxiety and depression in patients with malignant tumors of the maxillofacial region at different stages of treatment and rehabilitation and to determine their association with tumor localization and the severity of anatomical, functional, and aesthetic impairments.

Methods: A total of 85 patients with malignant tumors of the maxillofacial region were enrolled. Anxiety and depression were assessed using a modified Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and an Integral Psychoemotional Index (IPEI) was calculated at hospitalization, during the preoperative period, and after surgery. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

Results: Anxiety, depression, and IPEI values progressively decreased throughout treatment, from 12.4, 10.8, and 2.31 at hospitalization to 6.7, 5.4, and 1.28 in the postoperative period, respectively (p < 0.01). Tumor localization was significantly associated with psychoemotional status. The highest IPEI values were observed in patients with tumors of the nasal cavity and maxillary sinus, whereas the lowest values were recorded in patients with hard and soft palate tumors (p < 0.01). Anxiety and depression levels were significantly higher in women and younger patients.

Conclusion: Patients with malignant tumors of the maxillofacial region demonstrated progressively lower anxiety and depression levels during treatment and rehabilitation. Psychoemotional disturbances were associated with tumor localization, with the highest burden observed in patients with tumors affecting the nasal cavity and maxillary sinus.

Keywords
Anxiety
Depression
Maxillofacial neoplasms
Head and neck cancer
Rehabilitation
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
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