title: Is attendance at an ovarian cancer screening clinic a worry-reducing event? Findings from pre- to post-screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies have examined the relationship between worry and cancer screening. Due to methodological inconsistencies, results of these studies have varied and few conclusions can be made when generalizing across studies. The purpose of the current study was to better understand the worry-cancer screening relationship using a prospective research design.
  
  
  METHODS
  180 women enrolled in an annual ovarian cancer (OC) screening clinic completed surveys at three time points-pre-screening, day of screening, and post-screening-using three measures of cancer-specific worry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OC worry was highest in the weeks prior to screening and mere presentation at a screening clinic was associated with a significant worry decline. Observed elevations in worry following abnormal screening were not universal and varied by the instrument used to measure worry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to our hypotheses, it appears that mere presentation at a cancer screening clinic may be a worry-reducing event. Receipt of abnormal results was not necessarily associated with increased worry.
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, United States; James Graham Brown Cancer Center, 529 South Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202, United States; VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address: joshua.ruberg@va.gov.
authors.forename: Joshua L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ruberg
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, United States; James Graham Brown Cancer Center, 529 South Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202, United States.
authors.forename: C William
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.affiliation: VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA 92161, United States.
authors.forename: Benjamin I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Felleman
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, United States; James Graham Brown Cancer Center, 529 South Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202, United States.
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, United States; University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536-0086, United States; James Graham Brown Cancer Center, 529 South Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202, United States; Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0293, United States.
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Studts
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Anxiety; Cancer screening; Cancer worry; Early detection; Ovarian cancer