title: Illness uncertainty and quality of life of patients with small renal tumors undergoing watchful waiting: a 2-year prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have examined factors associated with the quality of life (QOL) of patients with renal tumors. Illness uncertainty may influence QOL.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively examine the influence of uncertainty on general and cancer-specific QOL and distress in patients undergoing watchful waiting (WW) for a renal mass.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2006-2010, 264 patients were enrolled in a prospective WW registry. The decision for WW was based on patient, tumor, and renal function characteristics at the discretion of the urologist and medical oncologist in the context of the physician-patient interaction. Participants had suspected clinical stage T1-T2 disease, were aged ≥ 18 yr, and spoke and read English. The first 100 patients enrolled in the registry participated in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients completed questionnaires on demographics, illness uncertainty (Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale), general QOL (Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form survey), cancer-specific QOL (Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System-Short Form), and distress (Impact of Events Scale) at enrollment and at 6, 12, and 24 mo. Age, gender, ethnicity, tumor size, estimated glomerular filtration rate, comorbidities, and assessment time point were controlled for in the models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among the sample, 27 patients had biopsies, and 17 patients had proven renal cell carcinoma. Growth rate was an average of 0.17 cm/yr (standard deviation: 0.35). Mean age was 72.5 yr, 55% of the patients were male, and 84% of the patients were Caucasian. Greater illness uncertainty was associated with poorer general QOL scores in the physical domain (p=0.008); worse cancer-related QOL in physical (p=0.001), psychosocial (p<0.001), and medical (p=0.034) domains; and higher distress (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is among the first to prospectively examine the QOL of patients with renal tumors undergoing WW and the psychosocial factors that influence QOL. Illness uncertainty predicted general QOL, cancer-specific QOL, and distress. These factors could be targeted in psychosocial interventions to improve the QOL of patients on WW.
authors: Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77230, USA. pparker@mdanderson.org
authors: Patricia A
authors: PA
authors: Parker
authors: Frances
authors: F
authors: Alba
authors: Bryan
authors: B
authors: Fellman
authors: Diana L
authors: DL
authors: Urbauer
authors: Yisheng
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Jose A
authors: JA
authors: Karam
authors: Nizar
authors: N
authors: Tannir
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Jonasch
authors: Christopher G
authors: CG
authors: Wood
authors: Surena F
authors: SF
authors: Matin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035501:Uncertainty; D057832:Watchful Waiting