Fear of progression in patients with low-risk malignant melanoma.

Abstract

e21615 Fear of progression in patients with low-risk malignant melanoma Fear of cancer progression (FoP) is one of the problems most commonly reported by cancer patients and is among the most prevalent cancer-related worries in cancer survivors. FCR is highly variable in different cancer entities. Background: This study aimed to elicit the prevalence and significance of FCR in melanoma patients with low risk tumors and further to assess psychosocial and demographic factors predicting severity of FoP as well as to determine the impact of FoP on quality of life (QoL). Methods: In total, 133 patients with low-risk melanoma (pT1a) completed the short version of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire (FoP-Q-SF), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the EQ-5D questionnaire, as well as self-constructed questions on the socio-demographic background. Results: MeanFoP-Q-SF sum score was 30.1 points (± 8.4 points SD) and the median 29 points. Two thirds of patients deviated not more than 1 SD from the mean. Risk factors for elevated FoP were female gender (p < 0.01), young age (p = 0.04) and working (p = 0.02) patients and patients with severe comorbidities (p = 0.03). Cancer in closely related persons predicted higher FoP (p < 0.01). HADS anxiety scale (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) and depression scale (r = 0.26, p < 0.01) correlated with FoP. A negative correlation with the EQ-5D index was found (r = -0.34, p < 0.01). Conclusions: As in many other malignancies,FoP is prevalent in low-risk melanoma patients and is associated with reduced QoL. Severe comorbidities, cancer in related persons, gender and income could be identified as predictors of FoP. Considerable high levels of FoP even in patients with low-risk malignancies underline the need of psychosocial support and intervention for special subgroups of melanoma patients to enable the patient to manage FoP more successfully.