First day of radiotherapy for women with breast cancer: predictors of anxiety.

Abstract

Radiotherapy treatment may generate anxiety, especially on the first day of treatment. This study aimed to identify potential predictors of radiotherapy-related anxiety in women with breast cancer before treatment initiation, interms of treatment concerns and trait anxiety. This transversal study included 94 patients from one Radiation Oncology Department, who had beendiagnosed with primary breast cancerand who had been prescribed external radiotherapy for the first time. Patients completed a Treatment Concerns Questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before the first treatment session. Women identified radiation involved in the procedure and treatment efficacy as major concerns surrounding radiotherapy. No significant differences were found between patients with higher and lower state anxiety scores, or by age, level of education, cancer treatment protocolused, prior information given about treatment, or report of doubts before treatment initiation. In the final model, the combination of trait anxiety (49.1% of the total variance) with two treatment-related concerns, regarding radiation andthe duration of treatment (plus 10.8% of the total variance), significantly predicted treatment-related anxietyexperienced on the first day of treatment. Our findings highlight the need to identify women with moderate or higher levels of trait anxiety before radiotherapy initiation and to provide them with a more approach to personalized care, adjusted to their specific concerns and susceptibility to anxious reactions. Effective education sessions involving the discussion of specific treatment concerns, and anxiety coping strategies training should be developed and applied in initial interactions with breast cancer patients.