[Psychosocial burden and subjective experience of melanoma patients in the ambulant follow-up].
BACKGROUND
The ambulant follow-up is established for early detection of metastases thus improving the survival probability of tumor patients. In spite of the safety aimed at, follow-up also puts a burden on tumor patients and has effects on their quality of life.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate within the scope of follow-up, to collect data on the psychosocial burden on melanoma patients in relation to the predictors (medical factors, psychological variables, sociodemographic data) in order to define a "burden-risk patient".


METHODS
From June to December 1997, 615 ambulant melanoma patients were questioned with the aid of the Hornheide questionnaire and the German version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D).


RESULTS
The leading predictors for a psychosocial burden were found to be fear and depression, as well as tumor thickness, metastases, year of operation, sex, age, and marital status/household. With the aid of these results, a burden-risk patient could be defined: female sex, age between 40 and 59 years, divorced or widowed, separately living, with a tumor thickness of more than 4 mm, first diagnosis less than 3 years ago and prevailing metastases. This risk patient had also a high probability of having significant fear and depression values.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of the Hornheide questionnaire for identifying the psychosocial burden is suitable to collect the individual burdens of the patients in particular and within a short period. In the same way, the needs of the patients can be met in particular, and thus his/her quality of life can be increased.
Blum
Andreas
A
Hautklinik der Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen.
Blum
Dorothea
D
Stroebel
Waltraud
W
Rassner
Gernot
G
Garbe
Claus
C
Hautzinger
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012727:Sex Characteristics