Fear of cancer recurrence and its predictors among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Purpose: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a multidimensional phenomenon among cancer survivors. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of FCR and its predictors among survivors of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Korea. Methods: Participants who finished NSCLC treatment one or more months prior completed the Korean version of Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form (K-FCRI-SF) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) at single tertiary hospital in Korea. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression and stepwise backward selection were used to determine the potential predictors of FCR. Results: Of the total 949 participants (mean age 63.4 ± 8.8 years, 44.3% women), 55.8% had high FCR. Female (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.95), pathologic stage III (aOR 1.97, 95% CI 1.18–3.30), poor overall quality of life (aOR 1.42, 95% CI 1.03–1.95), poor emotional functioning (aOR 3.91, 95% CI 2.64–5.81), poor social functioning (aOR 1.87, 95% CI 1.31–2.68), and severe dyspnea (aOR 2.91, 95% CI 1.03–8.21) were independent predictors of high FCR. Old age (≥ 70 years) was included in the final model (aOR 0.74, 95% CI 0.51–1.06) but did not show clinical significance. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that high FCR was prevalent in NSCLC patients in Korea. To prevent this, we suggest screening and early detection of FCR based on sex, pathologic stage, quality of life, emotional and social functioning, and dyspnea. Implications for cancer survivors: Screening and early detection of FCR based on sex, pathologic stage, quality of life, emotional and social functioning, and dyspnea is suggested.