title: Anxiety in disease-free breast cancer patients might be alleviated by provision of psychological support, not of information.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the prevalence of clinical anxiety, the possible impact of patients' anxiety on quality of life and the association between their anxiety levels and patients' perceived needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomly selected disease-free patients with breast cancer who survived >2 years were invited to participate in the study. The participants were asked to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C 30 and the Short-form Supportive Care Needs Survey questionnaire, which covers five domains of need (health system and information, psychological, physical, care and support and sexuality needs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data were available for 146 of the patients, and 14% of them suffered from clinical anxiety. Anxiety score had a statistically significant correlation with all domains of quality-of-life measures. The only perceived need that was significantly associated with anxiety was the psychological domain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Not negligible patients may suffer from clinical anxiety >2 years after their initial cancer diagnoses. Anxiety can impact on patients' quality of life, and unmet psychological needs are expected to increase anxiety levels. Management of anxiety could be one of the key components to improving the quality of life for breast cancer survivors and that reducing their unmet psychological needs may contribute to alleviating anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi Division of Palliative Care and Psycho-oncology, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi takechi@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akechi
authors.affiliation: Nagoya City University Graduate School of Nursing, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Momino
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Nursing, Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.affiliation: Division of Palliative Care and Psycho-oncology, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi.
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Immunology and Surgery, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Immunology and Surgery, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling / Q000592:standards; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: anxiety; need; quality of life; supportive care; survivors