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Fear of recurrence among older breast, ovarian, endometrial, and colorectal cancer survivors: Findings from the WHI LILAC study
Author(s) -
KrokSchoen Jessica L.,
Naughton Michelle J.,
Bernardo Brittany M.,
Young Gregory S.,
Paskett Electra D.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.4731
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , logistic regression , colorectal cancer , worry , endometrial cancer , oncology , cancer , quality of life (healthcare) , gynecology , anxiety , nursing , psychiatry
Objective To examine the prevalence of and factors associated with fear of recurrence (FCR) following treatment for breast, ovarian, endometrial, and colorectal cancer among older women. Methods Participants were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Life and Longevity After Cancer study. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association of demographic, clinical, and quality of life variables with survivors' FCR, dichotomized as <14 (low) or ≥14 (high) using the Cancer Worry Scale. Results Out of the 4259 participants, 3124 (73.3%) were diagnosed with breast cancer, 559 (13.1%) with colorectal cancer, 493 (11.6%) with endometrial cancer, and 83 (2%) with ovarian cancer. There were no significant differences in FCR by cancer type ( P = .75), with a mean scale score of 10.8 ± 2.87 for all participants combined. Approximately 16% (n = 679) were in the high FCR group. Multivariable analyses indicated that being younger at diagnosis, reporting a symptom score of ≥8, receipt of chemotherapy, and lower self‐rated health were significantly associated with high FCR. Women who were widowed or never married were less likely to report high FCR. Conclusions Fear of recurrence was experienced by a small but important proportion of older, long‐term cancer survivors and is associated with multiple demographic and clinical variables. These results will better inform researchers and clinicians regarding the individuals who are at risk of FCR.