title: Do ongoing lifestyle disruptions differ across cancer types after the conclusion of cancer treatment?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer interferes with participation in valued lifestyle activities (illness intrusiveness) throughout post-treatment survivorship. We investigated whether illness intrusiveness differs across life domains among survivors with diverse cancers. Intrusiveness should be highest in activities requiring physical/cognitive functioning (instrumental domain). Intrusiveness into relationship/sexual functioning (intimacy domain) should be higher in prostate, breast, and gastrointestinal cancers than in others.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cancer outpatients (N = 656; 51% men) completed the Illness Intrusiveness Ratings Scale (IIRS) during follow-up. We compared IIRS Instrumental, Intimacy, and Relationships and Personal Development [RPD] subscale and total scores across gastrointestinal, lung, lymphoma, head and neck, prostate (men), and breast cancers (women), comparing men and women separately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Instrumental subscale scores (M(men) = 3.05-3.80, M(women) = 3.02-3.63) were highest for all groups, except prostate cancer. Men with prostate cancer scored higher on Intimacy (M = 3.40) than Instrumental (M = 2.48) or RPD (M = 1.59), p's < .05; their Intimacy scores did not differ from men with gastrointestinal or lung cancer. Women collectively showed higher Instrumental (M = 3.39) than Intimacy (M = 2.49) or RPD scores (M = 2.27), p's < .001, but not the hypothesized group difference in Intimacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-treatment survivors continue to experience some long-term interference with activities requiring physical and cognitive functioning. Sexual adjustment may be of special concern to men when treatments involve genitourinary functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ongoing monitoring with the IIRS to detect lifestyle interference throughout survivorship may enhance quality of life. Screening and intervention should target particular life domains rather than global interference.
authors.affiliation: Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mah
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bezjak
authors.forename: D Andrew
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Loblaw
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gotowiec
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Devins
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012107:Research Design; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors