Abstract
We aimed to determine the prevalence and importance of fear of cancer progression (FoP) in melanoma patients with stage IA tumours to assess psychosocial and demographic factors associated with severity of FoP and to determine the relationship of FoP and quality of life (QoL). One hundred and thirty-six patients with stage IA melanoma completed the short version of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire (FoP-Q-SF), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the EORTC-QLQ-C30. We found a mean FoP-Q-SF sum score of 30.2 points (±8.4 points SD). In this study, 33% of patients reported high FoP at or above the cutoff-value of 34 points. Higher FoP was found in women (p < 0.01), young (p = 0.03) and employed (p = 0.02) patients. Being confronted with a cancer diagnosis in closely related persons predicted higher FoP (p < 0.01). FoP correlated positively with the HADS anxiety (r = 0.50, p < 0.01) and depression scales (r = 0.26, p < 0.01) and negatively with the EORTC-QLQ-C30 global health state (r = −0.32, p < 0.01). FoP is considerably prevalent in low-risk melanoma patients and associated with reduced QoL, cancer in related persons, women sex and participation in working life. Considerably high levels of FoP, even in patients with low-risk malignancies, underline the need for psychosocial support and psychotherapeutic interventions for melanoma patients.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e12901 |
| Journal | European Journal of Cancer Care |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| ISSN | 0961-5423 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01.09.2018 |
Funding
This study was funded by MSD Sharp & Dohme. TW has no conflicts of interest. MA has received grants and/ or honoraria as a consultant, speaker, and/or advisory board member from Almirall, GSK, and Leo. CB has received speaker honoraria, research grants, awards, and/or travel expenses from Celgene, Janssen-Cilag, Kreussler, Lilly, Mapi Group, medi, Stiefel Laboratories, and Urgo. AF serves as consultant to GSK, Novartis, Roche and received travel grants and speaker fees from BMS, Roche, MSD, GSK, Novartis. CG serves as consultant to Amgen, BMS, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Leo, Philogen and received travel grants and speaker fees from Amgen, BMS, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Leo, Philogen and received research funding from BMS, Novartis, Roche. RG serves as consultant to Roche, BMS, MSD, Amgen, Almirall, Leo, Pfizer, Novartis, GSK and received travel grants and speaker fees from Roche, BMS, MSD, GSK, Novartis, Merck, Almirall, Amgen, Galderma, Janssen, Boehninger and received research funding from Roche, Novartis, Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer. AH serves as consultant to Roche, Novartis, Amgen, Celgene, GSK, MedImmune, MelaSciences, Merck Serono, Oncosec, Eisai and received speaker fees, travel grants, and research funding from Roche, Novartis, Amgen, Celgene, GSK, MedImmune, MelaSciences, Merck Serono, Oncosec, and Eisai. LH serves as consultant to BMS, Roche, Merck, GSK, MSD and received travel grants and speaker fees from Roche, MSD, BMS, Roche, GSK and received research funding from BMS, MSD, GSK, Roche. EL serves as consultant to BMS, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Amgen, MSD and Roche and received travel grants and speaker fees from Medac, Amgen, Roche, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Novartis, BMS and MSD. TM received speaker’s honoraria and travel grants from BMS, MSD, Roche, TEVA GmbH and served as a consultant to BMS. CL serves as consultant to BMS, Roche, MSD, Novartis and received travel grants, speaker fees and speakers’ bureau fees from BMS, Roche, MSD, Novartis and received research funding from BMS, Roche, MSD, Novartis, Eisai, GSK, BioNTech. DS serves as consultant to Roche, BMS, GSK, Novartis, Amgen, Delcath, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, MSD, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and received travel grants, speaker fees and speakers’ bureau fees from Roche, BMS, GSK, Novartis, Amgen, Delcath, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, MSD, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and received research funding from Merck, BMS. PT has received speaker’s honoraria from BMS, Novartis, and Roche, consultant’s honoraria from BMS, Merck, Novartis, and Roche and travel support from BMS, and Roche. KCK serves as consultant to Roche, BMS, MSD and received travel grants and speaker fees from Roche, BMS, MSD, GSK, Amgen. AH serves as consultant to Roche, Novartis, Amgen, Celgene, GSK, MedImmune, MelaSciences, Merck Serono, Oncosec, Eisai and received speaker fees, travel grants, and research funding from Roche, Novartis, Amgen, Celgene, GSK, MedImmune, MelaSciences, Merck Serono, Oncosec, and Eisai.
Research Areas and Centers
- Academic Focus: Center for Infection and Inflammation Research (ZIEL)
