Abstract: Objective: To investigate the status of stigma, social support and quality of life in patients with lung cancer, and to establish a structural equation model to clarify the relationships between these three variables. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 264 lung cancer patients in a provincial tertiary cancer hospital from January to August in 2017. Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung were included in the questionnaire. Results: The total score of stigma in lung cancer patients was (71.11±14.91); the total score of social support was (39.10±11.53); the total score of quality of life was (85.39±23.48). Stigma was negatively correlated with social support and quality of life (P<0.01). The results of structural equation modeling showed that stigma had a direct negative effect (β=-0.301, P<0.01) and an indirect negative effect (β=-0.100) on quality of life. Social support only had a direct positive effect on quality of life (β=0.250, P<0.01). Conclusion: The stigma of lung cancer patients was at medium to high level. Health care professionals should take effective measures to alleviate lung cancer patients' stigma and increase their social support level, so as to improve their quality of life.

Key words: lung cancer; stigma; social support; quality of life; structural equation model