AUTHOR=Tuman Malwina , Roberts Kailey E. , Corner Geoffrey , Beard Courtney , Fadalla Carol , Coats Taylor , Slivjak Elizabeth , Schofield Elizabeth , Lichtenthal Wendy G.
TITLE=Interpretation Bias in Breast Cancer Survivors Experiencing Fear of Cancer Recurrence
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology
VOLUME=12
YEAR=2021
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682174
DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682174
ISSN=1664-1078
ABSTRACT=Introduction: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a prevalent and persistent challenge that many cancer survivors endure. While the role of interpretation bias, a tendency to perceive ambiguous situations as threatening, has been established in the onset and maintenance of FCR, few studies have examined cancer-related interpretation bias specifically. Grounded in the cognitive formulation of FCR, the current study aimed to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between cancer-related interpretation bias, FCR, and somatic symptoms, and examining whether bias mediates the relationship between somatic symptoms and FCR.
Materials and Methods: This study used baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a cognitive bias modification intervention. Breast cancer survivors (n = 110) provided demographic and medical background information as well as self-report measures of FCR and severity of somatic symptoms. A computer-based assessment of interpretation bias was used to measure cancer-related interpretation bias on several bias indices: percentage of cancer-related threat endorsement, and percentage of benign endorsement; mean reaction time (RT) for threat, and mean RT for benign endorsement.
Results: Higher threat endorsement was linked to higher Overall Fear and emerged as a mediator of the relationship between overall somatic symptoms and Overall Fear. We also found that older age was related to longer benign endorsement RT.
Conclusion: This study contributes understanding of factors related to cancer-related interpretation bias and provides evidence that bias may influence the relationship between somatic symptoms and FCR in cancer survivors.