Exploring the screening capacity of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form for clinical levels of fear of cancer recurrence

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An Implementation Evaluation of the Wellness Beyond Cancer Survivorship Class: Who is attending?

Cancer survivors at The Ottawa Hospital were referred to a survivorship class following discharge. As not all survivors attended the class, this study aimed to identify socio-demographic and medical characteristics, and survivorship needs that predict attendance. A chart review was conducted on survivors who completed a needs assessment survey between 2012 and 2014 (n=144 endometrial; n=170 breast). Class attendees’ characteristics were compared to those of non-attendees using t-tests, chi-square analyses, and regression analysis. Univariate analyses showed that age, distance from hospital, emotional and physical needs, and chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy were associated with class attendance. Distance from hospital, and physical needs, were identified as multivariate predictors. Identifying attendees’ characteristics will help inform recruitment strategies and class content

Évaluation de la mise en œuvre d’une séance d’information à l’intention des survivantes dans le cadre d’un Programme de bien-être au-delà du cancer : portrait des participantes

Les survivantes du cancer du sein et de l’endomètre orientées vers le Programme de bien-être au-delà du cancer ont été invitées à participer à une séance d’information, mais elles n’ont pas toutes donné suite à cette invitation. La présente étude cherche donc à déterminer les caractéristiques sociodémographiques et médicales, ainsi que les besoins des survivantes, qui permettraient de prédire leur participation à ce type d’atelier. Pour ce faire, un examen du dossier des survivantes ayant rempli une enquête d’évaluation des besoins entre 2012 et 2014 (n = 144, cancer de l’endomètre; n = 170, cancer du sein) a été réalisé. Les caractéristiques des participantes ont été comparées à celles des femmes qui n’étaient pas présentes à l’aide de tests t, d’analyses du khi-carré et d’une analyse de régres- sion. Les analyses univariées ont montré une corrélation entre la participation à la séance d’information et l’âge, la proximité de l’hôpital, les besoins émotionnels et physiques, et les traitements de chimiothérapie ou de radiothérapie qui avaient été reçus. La proxi- mité de l’hôpital et les besoins physiques sont quant à eux ressortis comme des facteurs prédictifs multivariés. Les résultats de l’étude nous permettront d’étoffer le contenu de la séance d’information, d’accroître le taux de participation et de cerner les caractéristiques des participantes

Health anxiety and illness-related fears across diverse chronic illnesses: A systematic review on conceptualization, measurement, prevalence, course, and correlates.

BackgroundPatients with chronic diseases commonly report fears of illness or symptoms recurring or worsening. These fears have been addressed from an illness-specific perspective (e.g., fear of cancer recurrence), a generic illness perspective (e.g., fear of progression), and a psychiatric perspective (DSM-5 illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder). The broader concept of health anxiety (HA) can also be applied to patients with a chronic disease. This review was conducted to investigate the conceptual, theoretical, measurement-overlap, and differences between these distinct perspectives. We also aimed to summarize prevalence, course, and correlates of these fears in different chronic illnesses.MethodsWe used PsycINFO, PubMED, CINAHL, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and PSYNDEX to conduct a systematic review of studies pertaining to these fears in chronic illness published from January 1996 to October 2017. A total of 401 articles were retained.ResultsThere were commonalities across different conceptualizations and diseases: a high prevalence of clinical levels of fears (>20%), a stable course over time, and a deleterious impact on quality of life. Reviewed studies used definitions, models, and measures that were illness-specific, with only a minority employing a psychiatric perspective, limiting cross-disease generalizability. There appears to be some applicability of DSM-5 disorders to the experience of fear of illness/symptoms in patients with a chronic illness. While conceptualizing HA on a continuum ranging from mild and transient to severe may be appropriate, there is a lack of agreement about when the level of fear becomes 'excessive.' The definitions, models, and measures of HA across chronic illnesses involve affective, cognitive, behavioral, and perceptual features.ConclusionsThe concept of HA may offer a unifying conceptual perspective on the fears of illness/symptoms worsening or returning commonly experienced by those with chronic disease