| Object: To examine the effects of psycho-behavioral intervention including educational intervention and progressive muscle relaxation on the quality of life, emotion, pain and social support of advanced cancer patients. Methods: 206 eligible advanced cancer patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group(n=102) or the control group(n=104). All patients completed questionnaires including Quality of life Questionnaire for Chinese Cancer Patients, Profile of Mood States, NRS and Social Support Rating Scale at baseline assessment. Patients in the intervention group or the control group both received routine nursing care and took analgesic medicine as prescribed. Patients in the intervention group were given educational intervention individually three times and printed materials relevant to it. And they were instructed to learn how to practice progressive muscle relaxation and given leaflets pertaining to requirements, procedure and key points to it. They were required to practice it twice daily for one month. At 1 month, all patients were similarly reassessed.Results: (1)The total mood disturbance scores of 206 advanced cancer patients were significantly higher than those of normal persons at baseline assessment (P<0.01). (2)The total scores of social support of 206 advanced cancer patients were significantly higher than normative data at baseline assessment (P<0.05). (3)There were no statistical significance between the intervention group and the control group in the aspects of quality of life, mood, pain and social support at baseline assessment(P>0.05). (4)When the two groups were reassessed at 1 month, there were statistical significance between them in the following aspects (P<0.05): mind, sleep, cognition to one's own cancer, daily life, side effects of treatment, facial expressions and total score of Quality of Life Questionnaire for Chinese Cancer Patients, and depression-dejection, anger-hostility, and total mood disturbance score of POMS. There were no statistical significance between them in the following aspects (P>0.05): appetite, fatigue, pain, family's apprehension and support, colleague's apprehension and support and attitude towards treatment of Quality of life Questionnaire for Chinese Cancer Patients;tension-anxiety, fatigue-inertia, confusion-bewilderment of POMS;NRS;and objective support, subjective support, availability of support and total score of Social Support Rating Scale. Conclusion: Advanced cancer patients had more total mood disturbance scores than normal persons. They gained more social support. The combination of educational intervention and progressive muscle relaxation could improve advanced cancer patients' physical function such as sleep, and mood states such as depression, anger and total mood disturbance scores, but it showed no effects on their appetite, attitudes towards treatment;anxiety, fatigue, confusion, pain and social support. Further research is still needed to examine the effectiveness of psycho-behavioral intervention on advanced cancer patients' quality of life.
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