Anxiety in Cancer Patients during¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT Low Dose: A Comparison of Anxiety Levels before and after Imaging Studies

Abstract

Objective. Assessing the level of anxiety in oncology patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan and identifying the main reasons that generate anxiety. Material and Method. The study included 81 cancer patients submitted to the 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan. Patients filled in the Scan Experience Questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before and after 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan. Results. Substantial levels of anxiety were detected both before and after 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan (STAI mean > 30), with a significant increase in the state of anxiety after scan performance (p < 0.0001, Medianpre = 31.1, and Medianpos = 33.0). 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose results are the main cause of anxiety both before (79.1%) and after (86.9%) the scan. The information provided by staff both before and on the 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose day was classified mostly as completely understandable (70.5% and 75.3%, resp.) and as very useful (70.5% and 72.6%, resp.) and correlated positively with patients' overall satisfaction with NM Department (rS = 0.372, p = 0.004 and rS = 0.528, p = 0.000, resp.), but not with anxiety levels. Conclusions. Patients perceive high levels of anxiety during the 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan and the concern with scan results was pointed out as the main factor for that emotional reaction.

Randomized Controlled Trial Examining Effects of Web-Based Information on Patient Satisfaction and Image Quality in 18F-FDG PET/CT Examinations

“…The lowest satisfaction concerned how the patients would receive the results of the examination. This finding is similar to another study revealing that patients may experience anxiety during 18 F-FDG PET/CT, mainly because of fear of the results (6), and indicates the importance of having the nurses who execute the examination make sure patients understand how they will receive the results. Some patients experienced discomfort during the 18 F-FDG PET/CT examination, especially regarding the time spent in the scanner and the need to maintain a fixed body position, as is consistent with our previous findings (4,10).…”

“…PET/ CT with the radioactively labeled glucose analog 18 F-FDG is used in oncology imaging and has proven valuable for diagnosis, staging, and evaluation of therapy response (1)(2)(3). Oncologic patients who undergo 18 F-FDG PET/CT may experience discomfort during time spent in the PET/ CT scanner (4), anxiety before the procedure (5), or anxiety after the procedure because of fears concerning the results (6).…”

Quality of sleep and anxiety are related to circadian preference in university students

“…Each scale has 20 affirmations for which the volunteers indicate the intensity at that time (STAI—E) and the frequency with which they occur (STAI—T) through a scale of 1 to 4 points. The result is a numerical value and the total score of each scale ranges from 20 to 80 points [ 43 ]. The results of the scores were classified according to Mayer et al (2016) [ 44 ] in three types of anxiety levels: low anxiety (< 33 points), moderate anxiety (33 to 49 points), and high anxiety (> 49 points).…”

‘Virtual experience’ as an intervention before a positron emission tomography/CT scan may ease patients’ anxiety and improve image quality

“…[1][2][3][4] An increasing number of cancer patients are required to undergo PET/CT examination. However, many studies have demonstrated that patients experienced a high level of anxiety during PET/CT examination because of a variety of reasons, 5,6 such as the use of radiopharmaceuticals and uncertain of the scan results. A study reported that patients were more anxious when undergoing the PET/CT scan than risky treatments.…”

“…[10][11][12] However, another study reported that more information provided by technologist only made people feel satisfied but did not reduce their anxiety levels. 5 One study indicated that patients who were given more detailed information about the adverse effects of radiation exposure generated higher anxiety levels. 6 According to these inconsistent results, exploring other methods to reduce patient anxiety levels is urgently needed.…”