title: Do cancer follow-up consultations create anxiety?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent literature has suggested that follow- up visits provide psychological support for patients with cancer, but largely without objective evidence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the psychological impact of follow-up consultations on cancer patients and identify factors that influence patient anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients attending a routine follow-up at Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre were surveyed. Using the State & Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), anxiety scores were obtained before and after consultation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and thirty-one patients participated, 199 patients were treated with curative intent, 62% were male. The mean anxiety score was higher in females and in palliative cases. Lower levels of social support, poor perception of own health and receiving bad news during consultation were associated with higher STAI scores. Satisfaction with cancer treatment was associated with lower STAI scores. There was a small but statistically significant reduction of anxiety scores after consultation (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When measured objectively, specialist consultation appears to have a small, but statistically significant, positive impact on the level of patient anxiety. Patient satisfaction correlated well with the patient anxiety levels.
authors: Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CCORE), Liverpool Hospital, Locked Bag 7103, Liverpool BC 1871, NSW Australia. gabriel.gabriel@swsahs.nsw.gov.au
authors: Gabriel Sam
authors: GS
authors: Gabriel
authors: Minjae
authors: M
authors: Lah
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Barton
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: Au
authors: Geoff
authors: G
authors: Delaney
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Jalaludin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D009517:New South Wales; D019370:Observation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011383:Progressive Patient Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support