When Survival Meets Fear: A Quantitative Study on Generalized Anxiety, Depression and Quality of Life in Cancer...

Background/Objectives: Due to ongoing medical and scientific progress, the number of cancer survivors is steadily increasing worldwide. However, this population remains particularly vulnerable to experiencing psychopathological symptoms and Fear of Disease Progression, which is often associated with lower Quality of Life scores. The present study aims to evaluate these variables among cancer survivors of the Portuguese Beira Interior Region, providing insight into this understudied population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 55 cancer survivors from the Beira Interior Region (69.1% female; M = 62.27 years), assessed through a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, alongside the PHQ-9, GAD-7, FoP-Q-SF, and QLQ-C30 instruments. Results: Overall, 60.9% of participants exhibited depressive symptoms, 43.6% reported generalized anxiety, and 54.5% showed normative levels of Fear of Disease Progression. Significant differences in Fear of Disease Progression were observed between sexes and educational levels. Positive correlations emerged between Fear of Disease Progression and both generalized anxiety (r_s = 0.66) and depressive symptoms (r_s = 0.43), while all three variables were negatively associated with Quality of Life. Although individual predictors did not reach statistical significance, the combined model, including Fear of Disease Progression, depressive symptoms, and anxiety, explained 21% of the variance in Quality of Life. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of assessing and monitoring Fear of Disease Progression among cancer survivors to support the development of early and tailored interventions, given Fear of Disease Progression's predictive role in generalized anxiety, depressive symptoms, and reduced Quality of Life in this population.