title: The relationship between illness representations, risk perception and fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer survivors.
abstract: Fear of cancer recurrence, although distinct from distress continues to be under-evaluated, captured, or treated when standard distress scales are used to assess concerns of cancer survivors. We tested a model assessing the association of demographic and clinical factors, illness representations, and perceived risk with fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  
  We recruited 117 breast cancer survivors at least one year after completing breast cancer treatment from Internet discussion boards for this cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study. Participants completed a survey that assessed their level of fear of cancer recurrence as well as their illness representations, perceived risk of recurrence, and demographic and medical characteristics.
  
  
  
  Our model explained 62% of the variance in fear of cancer recurrence. Emotional representations (β = .46, p < .01), symptom attribution (β = .21, p < .01), timeline (β = .23, p < .01), and consequences (β = .16, p < .03) were significantly related to fear of recurrence. By contrast, the majority of clinical and demographic variables were not significant contributors to fear of recurrence.
  
  
  
  Upon completion of cancer treatment, survivors with more emotional representations of the experience and those who attribute unrelated symptoms to their breast cancer have a higher level of fear of recurrence. Evaluation of these factors during treatment may help mitigate fear of recurrence in the survivorship phase of the breast cancer trajectory. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Laurie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Freeman-Gibb
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Janz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nursing Science/Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Katapodi
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Zikmund-Fisher
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Northouse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D000073116:Cancer Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires