title: Anxiety at the first radiotherapy session for non-metastatic breast cancer: key communication and communication-related predictors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients may experience clinically relevant anxiety at their first radiotherapy (RT) sessions. To date, studies have not investigated during/around the RT simulation the key communication and communication-related predictors of this clinically relevant anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast cancer patients (n=227) completed visual analog scale (VAS) assessments of anxiety before and after their first RT sessions. Clinically relevant anxiety was defined as having pre- and post-first RT session VAS scores ⩾4 cm. Communication during RT simulation was assessed with content analysis software (LaComm), and communication-related variables around the RT simulation were assessed with questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinically relevant anxiety at the first RT session was predicted by lower self-efficacy to communicate with the RT team (OR=0.65; p=0.020), the perception of lower support received from the RT team (OR=0.70; p=0.020), lower knowledge of RT-associated side effects (OR=0.95; p=0.057), and higher use of emotion-focused coping (OR=1.09; p=0.013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides RT team members with information about potential communication strategies, which may be used to reduce patient anxiety at the first RT session.
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merckaert
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Aurore
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liénard
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Libert
authors.affiliation: Université de Liège, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Etienne
authors.affiliation: Université Catholique de Louvain, Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reynaert
authors.affiliation: C.P.O. (Centre de Psycho-Oncologie), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Slachmuylder
authors.affiliation: Université Catholique de Louvain, Faculté de Médecine, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scalliet
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Houtte
authors.affiliation: Université de Liège, Faculté de Médecine, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coucke
authors.affiliation: Clinique Saint-Elisabeth, Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Emile
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salamon
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: drazavi@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Razavi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Anxiety; Cancer; Communication; Distress; Radiotherapy