Fear of Cancer Recurrence Among Uninsured and Underrepresented Men With Prostate Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychosocial Oncology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a significant concern for cancer survivors.
• Understanding FCR prevalence and associated factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions, especially in underserved populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of high FCR in a diverse, low-income prostate cancer survivor cohort.
• To identify demographic, clinical, and psychosocial predictors of high FCR.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of 150 prostate cancer survivors using the FCR Survey.
• Assessment of sociodemographic, clinical, quality of life (SF-12v2, PCI-SF), symptom distress, spirituality, patient-physician interaction, and treatment regret data.

Main Results:

• High FCR was reported by 28% of participants.
• No association found between FCR and sociodemographic or clinical variables (age, race/ethnicity, treatment, stage, grade, PSA, comorbidities).
• High FCR strongly correlated with poorer mental health, lower SF-12 mental composite scores, emotional limitations, and significantly higher treatment regret (95.2% vs. 28.7%).

Conclusions:

• High FCR is prevalent in uninsured, underrepresented prostate cancer survivors, linked to emotional distress and regret, not objective clinical risk.
• Highlights the need for patient-centered survivorship care addressing psychological well-being and informed decision-making.