SynopsisThis paper describes the development of a self-rating scale to measure adjustment to cancer. The Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) Scale has been completed by 235 patients with various types and stages of cancer. It is easily understood by, and acceptable to, patients. Data relating to reliability and internal consistency indicate that the MAC scale is a valuable research tool for clinical studies of patients' psychological adjustment to cancer.

An exploratory factor analysis of the HAD was carried out in 568 cancer patients. Two distinct, but correlated, factors emerged which corresponded to the questionnaire's anxiety and depression subscales. The factor structure proved stable when subsamples of the total sample were investigated. The internal consistency of the two subscales was also high. These results provide support for the use of the separate subscales of the HAD in studies of emotional disturbance in cancer patients.