Which Head and Neck Cancer Patients Are Most at Risk of High Levels of Fear of Cancer Recurrence

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Simon N. Rogers¹  Camilla Monssen³  Gerald M. Humphris³  Derek Lowe⁴  Anastasios Kanatas⁵ 

[1] Faculty of Health and Social Care, Edge Hill University, United Kingdom;Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, Liverpool University Hospital Aintree, United Kingdom;School of Medicine, Medical and Biological Sciences, United Kingdom;Astraglobe Ltd., United Kingdom;Leeds Teaching Hospitals and St. James Institute of Oncology, Leeds Dental Institute and Leeds General Infirmary, United Kingdom

关键词: fear of cancer recurrence;    quality of life;    patient concerns inventory;    head and neck cancer;    randomized trial;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.671366

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

CC BY