Interconnectivity of fear of progression and generalized anxiety - Network analysis among a sample of hematological cancer survivors

PURPOSE

Fear of cancer progression and recurrence (FoP) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are syndromes commonly seen in cancer patients. This study applied network analysis to investigate how symptoms of both concepts are interconnected.

METHODS

We used cross-sectional data from hematological cancer survivors. A regularized Gaussian graphical model including symptoms of FoP (FoP-Q) and GAD (GAD-7) was estimated. We investigated (i) the overall network structure and (ii) tested on pre-selected items whether both syndromes could be differentiated based on their worry content (cancer related vs. generalized). For this purpose, we applied a metric named bridge expected influence (BEI). Lower values mean that an item is only weakly connected with the items of the other syndrome, which can be an indication of its distinctive characteristic.

RESULTS

Out of 2001 eligible hematological cancer survivors, 922 (46%) participated. The mean age was 64 years and 53% were female. The mean partial correlation within each construct (GAD: r = .13; FoP: r = .07) was greater than between both (r = .01). BEI values among items supposed to discriminate between the constructs (e.g., worry about many things within GAD and fear not to endure treatment within FoP) were among the smallest so our assumptions were confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings based on the network analysis support the hypothesis that FoP and GAD are different concepts within oncology. Our exploratory data needs to be validated in future longitudinal studies.

The fear of cancer recurrence and progression in patients with pancreatic cancer

PURPOSE

It is plausible that patients with pancreatic cancer experience fear of tumor recurrence or progression (FOP). The aim of this study was to compare FOP in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with surgical resection, palliative systemic treatment, or best supportive care (BSC) and analyze the association between quality of life (QoL) and FOP and the effect of FOP on overall survival (OS).

METHODS

This study included patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between 2015 and 2018, who participated in the Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Project (PACAP). The association between QoL and WOPS was assessed with logistic regression analyses. OS was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank tests and multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses adjusted for clinical covariates and QoL.

RESULTS

Of 315 included patients, 111 patients underwent surgical resection, 138 received palliative systemic treatment, and 66 received BSC. Patients who underwent surgical resection had significantly lower WOPS scores (i.e., less FOP) at initial diagnosis compared to patients who received palliative systemic treatment or BSC only (P < 0.001). Better QoL was independently associated with the probability of having a low FOP in the BSC (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.98) but not in the surgical resection (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-1.01) and palliative systemic treatment groups (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-1.00). The baseline WOPS score was not independently associated with OS in any of the subgroups.

CONCLUSION

Given the distress that FOP evokes, FOP should be explicitly addressed by health care providers when guiding pancreatic cancer patients through their treatment trajectory, especially those receiving palliative treatment or BSC.

On top of that all, now Covid-19, too. A scoping review of specificities and correlates of fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer patients during COVID-19

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a normal response in cancer survivors and one of the most prevalent reactions reported by up to 87% of them. However, elevated levels of FCR impair well-being, quality of life and professional functioning, and lead to anxiety, depression or PTSD. COVID-19 pandemic can exacerbate FCR symptoms, given the restricting access to follow-up investigations and treatment, the isolation restrictions imposed and the possibility of the medical system becoming overworked. This scoping review's objective was to synthesize the literature investigating the factors associated with higher levels of FCR in cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus was on FCR in breast cancer patients, including most of the studies (5 out of 9) on this topic. However, given the novelty of the subject, the increased interest in it, and the fact that there are few studies in this field, the review included 4 other studies with mixed samples of patients with breast cancer and other oncological pathologies. Following rigorous methodological criteria, 9 studies with quantitative or mixed methodology were included (N = 4831 patients). The results indicate that high levels of FCR are associated with distress and concerns regarding the pandemic impact, with most common concerns of patients being changes in treatment plan (delays and interruptions), dysfunctional communication with medical staff or difficult access to food or medicine. The most common correlates of FCR during the pandemic are marital status, childlessness, low financial status, level of education, type of cancer diagnosis, generalized anxiety and depression.

Fear of disease progression in adult ambulatory patients with brain cancer: prevalence and clinical correlates

BACKGROUND

Fear of progression (FoP) is frequent in patients with cancer and of high clinical relevance. Despite the often devastating prognosis of brain cancer, FoP has not yet been assessed in neurooncological patients.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was thus the assessment of FoP and its clinical correlates.

METHODS

In an ambulatory setting, 42 patients with a primary brain tumour completed the Fear of Progression questionnaire FoP-Q-12. Clinical correlates of FoP were assessed via a variety of measures, including patients' physical state (Karnofsky Performance Status, KPS), cancer-related psychosocial distress (Distress Thermometer, DT), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder Scale, GAD-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9), Quality of Life (Short Form Health Survey, SF-8), and unmet supportive care needs (Supportive Care Needs Survey, SCNS).

RESULTS

Eighteen patients (42%) suffered from high FoP (i.e. scored ≥ 34 in the FoP-Q-12). According to the 12 items of the FoP-Q-12, the greatest fears were worrying about what would happen to their family and being afraid of severe medical treatments. No sociodemographic variables (e.g. age, gender) or medical tumour characteristics (e.g. tumour malignancy, first or recurrent tumour) were related to FoP. Patients with more severe physical symptoms reported higher FoP. Patients with higher FoP were more anxious, more depressed, reported lower Quality of Life, and suffered from more unmet supportive care needs.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that FoP is frequent and of high clinical relevance for neurooncological patients. Its assessment is not sufficiently covered by instruments for assessment of other areas of psychological morbidity (e.g. general anxiety). Moreover, FoP cannot be predicted by objective characteristics of the patients and disease. Thus, the routine screening for FoP is recommended in neurooncological patients. Clinicians should bear in mind that patients with high FoP are likely to suffer from high emotional distress and unmet supportive care needs and initiate treatment accordingly.

Health literacy and fear of cancer progression in elderly women newly diagnosed with breast cancer--A longitudinal analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the distribution of health literacy levels and the association of health literacy with fear of cancer progression (FoP) over the course of cancer treatment in a sample of elderly women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

METHODS

The analyses are part of a prospective, multicenter cohort-study (PIAT) that took place in Germany between 2013 and 2014. Elderly women (aged 65 years and older) newly diagnosed with breast cancer completed validated measures of health literacy and FoP directly after the breast cancer surgery and 40 weeks later. Multivariate random-effects regression analysis for longitudinal data was applied to estimate the association of health literacy with FoP considering socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics of the patients.

RESULTS

About half of the elderly breast cancer patients in our sample were classified as having limited health literacy (inadequate and problematic levels). Inadequate and problematic health literacy were significantly associated with higher levels of FoP in the elderly breast cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

Limited health literacy is an independent risk factor for increased FoP.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Enhancing health literacy could contribute to reducing patients' cancer-related fears.