Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Apr:62:123-134.
doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2022.02.007. Epub 2022 Feb 10.

On top of that all, now Covid-19, too. A scoping review of specificities and correlates of fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer patients during COVID-19

Éva Kállay  1 , Flavia Medrea  1 , Csaba László Dégi  2
Affiliations

On top of that all, now Covid-19, too. A scoping review of specificities and correlates of fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer patients during COVID-19

Éva Kállay et al. Breast. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a normal response in cancer survivors and one of the most prevalent reactions reported by up to 87% of them. However, elevated levels of FCR impair well-being, quality of life and professional functioning, and lead to anxiety, depression or PTSD. COVID-19 pandemic can exacerbate FCR symptoms, given the restricting access to follow-up investigations and treatment, the isolation restrictions imposed and the possibility of the medical system becoming overworked. This scoping review's objective was to synthesize the literature investigating the factors associated with higher levels of FCR in cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus was on FCR in breast cancer patients, including most of the studies (5 out of 9) on this topic. However, given the novelty of the subject, the increased interest in it, and the fact that there are few studies in this field, the review included 4 other studies with mixed samples of patients with breast cancer and other oncological pathologies. Following rigorous methodological criteria, 9 studies with quantitative or mixed methodology were included (N = 4831 patients). The results indicate that high levels of FCR are associated with distress and concerns regarding the pandemic impact, with most common concerns of patients being changes in treatment plan (delays and interruptions), dysfunctional communication with medical staff or difficult access to food or medicine. The most common correlates of FCR during the pandemic are marital status, childlessness, low financial status, level of education, type of cancer diagnosis, generalized anxiety and depression.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Covid-19 pandemic; Fear of cancer progression; Fear of cancer recurrence; Risk factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Search process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sung H., Ferlay J., Siegel R.L., Laversanne M., Soerjomataram I., Jemal A., Bray F. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA A Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209–249. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660. - DOI - PubMed
    1. WHO . 2020. Global health estimates 2020: deaths by cause, age, sex, by country and by region, 2000-2019. [who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-andglobal-health-estimates/ghe-le...
    1. Costanzo E.S., Ryff C.D., Singer B.H. Psychosocial adjustment among cancer survivors: findings from a national survey of health and well-being. Health Psychol : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association. 2009;28(2):147–156. doi: 10.1037/a0013221. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kangas M., Henry J.L., Bryant R.A. Posttraumatic stress disorder following cancer: a conceptual and empirical review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2002;22(4):499–524. doi: 10.1016/S0272-7358(01)00118-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ganz P.A., Stanton A.L. Clinical psycho-oncology: an international perspective. John Wiley & Sons; West Sussex: 2012. Psychosocial and physical health in post-treatment and extended cancer survivorship; pp. 237–247.

Publication types