We developed a Spirituality Transcendence Measure (STM) and studied whether awareness of terminal illness affects spiritual well-being in terminal cancer patients. Three sources of spiritual transcendence-the situational, the moral and biographical, and the religious aspect-were assessed in the STM. Cronbach's alpha of the STM was 0.95, and the principle axis factor analysis extracted only one factor: Thirty-seven terminal cancer patients with male predominance (59.5%) were studied. Awareness of terminal illness was associated with a higher total STM score (Z = -2.21, P = 0.027), along with the individual scores for each of the three transcendences (Z = -2.39, P = 0.017 Z = -2.71, P = 0.007 and Z = -1.96, P = 0.050). Acceptance of death was associated with a higher situational score (Z = 2.01, P = 0.046) and a higher religious score (Z = -2.27, P = 0.023). Announcement of testament was associated with a higher situational score (Z = -2.30, P = 0.021). We conclude that awareness of terminal illness is associated with spiritual well-being. Telling the complete truth is necessary even when. dealing with terminal conditions. (C) 2006 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
