AUTHOR=Luo Xian , Li Wengao , Yang Yuan , Humphris Gerald , Zeng Lijuan , Zhang Zijun , Garg Samradhvi , Zhang Bin , Sun Hengwen 

TITLE=High Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Chinese Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01287

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01287

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is common among cancer patients and of high clinical relevance. This study explores the prevalence and correlates of FCR in Chinese newly diagnosed cancer population.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>This is a multicentre, cross-sectional study that includes 996 patients with mixed cancer diagnosis. All recently diagnosed patients completed a questionnaire consisting of the following: Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), General Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Univariate analyses, multivariate logistic regression analyses, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the association between tested variables and FCR.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Of the 996 patients, 643 (64.6%) reported high FCR (scored ≥ 34 in the FoP-Q-SF). Chemotherapy (<italic>OR</italic> = 1.941), Childhood severe illness experience (<italic>OR</italic> = 2.802), depressive (<italic>OR</italic> = 1.153), and anxiety (<italic>OR</italic> = 1.249) symptoms were positively associated with high FCR, while higher monthly income (<italic>OR</italic> = 0.592) was negatively associated with high FCR. SEM indicated that emotional disturbances (anxiety and depression) directly influenced FCR, while emotional disturbances partly mediated the association between personal monthly income and FCR.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>High FCR is a frequently reported problem among newly diagnosed cancer patients. Various factors increased the likelihood of the development of FCR. Flexible psychological interventions are needed for patients with high FCR.</p></sec>