Anxiety and Cancer-Related Worry of Cancer Patients at Routine Follow-up Visits

Abstract

Anxiety and caficer-related worry were assessed in 197 consecutive cancer patients attending follow-up visits. Participants completed questionnaires on three occasions: at the visit, some days later, and three weeks later. Results show that while a majority of patients feel no or only mild anxiety in conjunction to the follow-up visit, about one-fifth report moderate or strong anxiety. Many patients (46%) worry about suffering a recurrence and about overlooking symptoms of new cancer (33%). Patients who were not in complete remission reported higher levels of cancer-related worry concerning the follow-up visit than did patients in remission. Among patients in remission, those who recently terminated treatment reported more overall distress than patients two or more years since treatment termination.

Anxiety, Depression and Worry in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients Attending Medical Follow-Up Control Visits

“…The present study is an extension of the study by Lampic et al (18). The patients in that study were relatively distant in time from their diagnosis and treatment.…”

“…These patients were closer in time to their diagnosis and primary treatment (mean 2.1 years, median 1, range 0-12) than the patients at an oncological clinic studied by Lampic et al (mean 5.7 years, median 3, range 0-29) (18). A further aim of the present study is to validate the anxiety measure used by Lampic et al (18).…”

“…Lampic et al (18) assessed anxiety and cancer-related worry in 197 consecutive cancer patients with a variety of diagnoses attending follow-up visits. The majority of these patients reported no or mild anxiety in connection with the visit, but one-fifth reported moderate to strong anxiety.…”

The Opportunity for Psychiatry in Palliative Care

“…The situation is further complicated by the fact that many clinicians are unable to appropriately estimate their patients' levels of psychological distress. [48][49][50][51] A psychiatrist can help a palliative care team make the diagnosis. This is inherently difficult, as many of the typical symptoms of depression evolve over time and are confounded by the underlying illness and its treatment (for example, changes in weight, fatigue, sleep disturbances, decreased concentration, and altered appetite).…”

Life After Cancer

“…Except for recurrences of solitary resectable tumours, chemo & hormone sensitive tumours, there is no apparent survival advantage of intensive follow up. Instead, it may lead to follow-up related anxiety [2,3].…”