Survey Analysis of Anxiety in Gynecological Cancer Patients in the SARS‑CoV‑2 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between anxiety and SARS-CoV-2-related anxiety in obstetrics and gynecology patients who received systemic anticancer therapy and did not receive any treatment through questionnaires measuring stress. Materials and Methods: This non-invasive observational survey was conducted between February 2017 and June 2021. Demographic and clinical data such as age, gender, type of cancer, and type of treatment were collected from the patient's medical histories. Patients were asked to participate in the STAI-1, 2, Covid-19 Stress (C19S), and Distress Thermometer (DT) questionnaires to measure their fear/anxieties about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Chemotherapy (CT) and Radiotherapy (RT) were recorded and analyzed for each patient. Results: Cancer significantly affected STAI-1, STAI-2 C19S, and DT scores. Patients with cancer had 1.39-fold higher (95%CI: 1.32-1.47) STAI-1 scores than those without cancer (p<0.001). Similarly, patients with cancer had 1.37 times (95%CI: 1.3-1.45) higher STAI-2 scores than patients without cancer (p<0.001). In the analysis for C19S score, cancer had 1.41 times (95%CI: 1.32-1.52) higher C19S than patients without cancer (p<0.001). For DT scores, this ratio was 1.65 times (95%CI: 1.5-1.8) (p<0.001). University education, chronic illness, psychological drugs, and age did not affect STAI-1, STAI-2, C19S, and DT (p>0.05). Conclusion: Cancer patients have been subject to a strong challenge in treating mental health symptoms during the pandemic. According to our study, cancer patients were affected by this condition for anxiety, so clinicians should remain vigilant for mood complications.