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An examination of the relationship of patient modifiable and non-modifiable characteristics with fear of cancer recurrence among colorectal cancer survivors

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Abstract

Purpose

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is one of the most common and distressing issues affecting cancer survivors. This study examined (1) the association between modifiable cognitive, behavioral, and social characteristics and FCR, (2) the association between non-modifiable characteristics and FCR, and (3) the relative contributions of modifiable and non-modifiable characteristics to FCR.

Methods

Participants (n = 120) had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and completed cancer treatment in the past 6 to 36 months. Participants completed self-report measures of modifiable cognitive (e.g., beliefs about worry), behavioral (e.g., health-related reassurance seeking), and social (e.g., social constraints) characteristics. Non-modifiable characteristics (e.g., age, disease severity) were assessed via self-report and medical record review.

Findings

Modifiable (i.e., perceived risk, self-efficacy, positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about worry, intolerance of uncertainty, rumination, reassurance seeking, health-related reassurance seeking, social constraints) and non-modifiable (i.e., age, gender, disease severity, neuroticism, conscientiousness) characteristics were associated with FCR (p’s < .05). Hierarchical linear regression analyses demonstrated that modifiable characteristics accounted for an additional 15% of the variance (p < .001) beyond that accounted for by non-modifiable characteristics (R2 = .45, p < .001), with perceived risk (B = .35) and health-related reassurance seeking (B = .22) emerging as significant predictors of FCR (p’s < .05).

Implications

Results identify non-modifiable characteristics that may serve as risk factors for greater FCR and identify specific modifiable characteristics (i.e., perceived risk, health-related reassurance seeking) to be targeted by interventions to reduce FCR among cancer survivors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive-MFC, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Julie M. Cessna Palas, Kelly A. Hyland, Ashley M. Nelson, Brent J. Small & Heather S. L. Jim

  2. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Julie M. Cessna Palas, Kelly A. Hyland, Ashley M. Nelson & Brent J. Small

  3. Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Ashley M. Nelson

  4. Healthcare Delivery Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Paul B. Jacobsen

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  1. Julie M. Cessna Palas
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Correspondence to Heather S. L. Jim.

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Dr. Jim reported other from RedHill Biopharma, other from Janssen Scientific Affairs, other from Merck, outside the submitted work. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the National Cancer Institute.

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Cessna Palas, J.M., Hyland, K.A., Nelson, A.M. et al. An examination of the relationship of patient modifiable and non-modifiable characteristics with fear of cancer recurrence among colorectal cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer 29, 869–876 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05552-4

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