Rogers, SN, Monssen, C, Humphris, GM et al. (2 more authors) (2021) Which Head and Neck Cancer Patients Are Most at Risk of High Levels of Fear of Cancer Recurrence. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. 671366. ISSN 1664-1078
Abstract
Background: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is recognized as a common concern for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). The aim of this study is to describe in greater detail the demographic and clinical characteristics of HCN patients who indicate a high level of FCR in their review consultation.
Methods: A pragmatic cluster-controlled trial was conducted between January 2017 and December 2018 at two UK HNC centers (Leeds and Liverpool) to test the efficacy of a prompt tool called the Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI). Patients completed the PCI and the UW-QOLv4 which included a single 5 category rating of FCR. Secondary statistical analyses focused on variables associated with high FCR.
Results: Two hundred and eighty-eight trial patients were recruited in this trial. At a median of 194 days after diagnosis and 103 days after the end of treatment 8% stated (n = 24) “I get a lot of fears of recurrence and these can really preoccupy my thoughts” and 3% (n = 8) “I am fearful all the time that my cancer might return, and I struggle with this.” Thus, 11% (n = 32) responded in the worst two categories, 95% Confidence interval 7.7–15.3% for high FCR. Stepwise logistic regression resulted in female gender (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.007), and receiving financial benefits (p = 0.01) as independent predictors.
Conclusions: Around one in ten HNC patients attending routine outpatient follow-up consultations report high FCR, however for female patients under the age of 55 the rate was one in three. This group requires specialist attention and could be the focus of a multicenter intervention trial.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 Rogers, Monssen, Humphris, Lowe and Kanatas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
Keywords: | fear of cancer recurrence, quality of life, patient concerns inventory, head and neck cancer, randomized trial |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Dentistry (Leeds) > School of Dentistry Visitors (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 28 Jul 2021 15:32 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 22:43 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Frontiers Media SA |
Identification Number: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.671366 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:176297 |