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Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 5/2017

01-05-2017 | Original Article

Association of worry about cancer to benefit finding and functioning in long-term cancer survivors

Authors: Salene M. W. Jones, Rebecca Ziebell, Rod Walker, Larissa Nekhlyudov, Borsika A. Rabin, Stephanie Nutt, Monica Fujii, Jessica Chubak

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 5/2017

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Abstract

Purpose

Worry about cancer recurrence or progression is associated with negative effects of cancer, such as worse physical functioning, but associations with positive changes post-cancer, such as benefit finding, are unknown. We measured the proportion of patients reporting frequent worry about cancer recurrence or progression and examined the association between worry about cancer recurrence or progression to benefit finding and functioning in cancer.

Methods

We surveyed 594 long-term (5–10 years post-diagnosis) survivors of cancer (breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, melanoma) in this cross-sectional study. The survey asked about worry about cancer recurrence/progression, negative effects of cancer on mental and physical function, and benefit finding as a result of the cancer (positive effects). Multivariate regressions estimated associations of worry about cancer with negative and positive effects of cancer.

Results

Worrying about cancer often or all the time was reported by 19.6% of survivors. Worry about cancer was related to worse functioning (odds ratio (OR) range 1.40 to 1.46, all p’s < .01). Worry about recurrence/progression was unrelated to benefit finding (all p’s > .10).

Conclusions

Worry about cancer was associated with negative, but not positive, effects of cancer. Treating worry about cancer is unlikely to reduce benefit finding after cancer. Given the high prevalence of worry about cancer and relationship to negative effects of cancer, clinical care should attempt to address this worry for long-term survivors.
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Metadata
Title
Association of worry about cancer to benefit finding and functioning in long-term cancer survivors
Authors
Salene M. W. Jones
Rebecca Ziebell
Rod Walker
Larissa Nekhlyudov
Borsika A. Rabin
Stephanie Nutt
Monica Fujii
Jessica Chubak
Publication date
01-05-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 5/2017
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3537-z

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