Anxiety in long-term cancer survivors influences the acceptability of planned discharge from follow-up.
Anxiety levels in a sample of 65 long-term cancer survivors were assessed in a study of the effects of a planned discharge from an oncology clinic. Thirty-one percent of patients scored > or = 8, and 12% > or = 11 on the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), indicating that anxiety rates in patients in long-standing remission do not greatly differ from patients with active disease. Despite the provision of continued support and guaranteed fast-access return to the clinic if necessary, 28% of patients refused to be discharged. Fear that recurrence would not be detected was the reason most frequently cited. Seventy-five percent of these patients were HADS anxiety cases. A second assessment 4-5 months later of the 41 patients who were discharged showed a slight, but non-significant increase in anxiety rates suggesting that anxiety in cancer survivors may be persistent and not related to clinic attendance.
Thomas
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Health Research Centre, Middlesex University, Queensway, UK.
Glynne-Jones
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Chait
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Marks
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*