Social Science and Dentistry

cover art

Cover Date:
June 2012
Print ISSN:
2040-4263
Vol:
2
Issue:
1

AFTER and beyond: cancer recurrence fears and a test of an intervention in oral and oropharyngeal patients

Aim: Fear of recurrence has been identified as a major factor for cancer patients. The aim was to assess effects of psychological intervention to reduce recurrence fears and anxiety in outpatients previously treated for oral and oral pharyngeal cancer. Methods: Trial of 90 new patients randomly assigned to psychological intervention or control (usual-care) condition. Patients completed questionnaires to assess psychological distress and quality of life at 3, 7, 11 and 15 months following treatment for oropharyngeal cancer. Simple randomisation occurred immediately after 7 month assessment. Assessor was blind to group assignment. Intervention was delivered in the interval between 7 and 11 month assessments, and consisted of 6 weekly sessions of individual therapy delivered by trained specialist nurse following standardised manual (named AFTER). Results: Three patients were excluded prior to randomisation. The remaining 87 were randomised; 53 in the intervention arm and 34 in the control arm. Overall 10 patients were lost. Change score differences of groups between 7 and 11 month assessments showed reduction in fears of recurrence, anxious preoccupation with cancer (p<.05) but not general anxiety and depression. Some evidence of indirect effects on longer term fears of recurrence was found. Conclusion: Psychological intervention for fear of recurrence in the first year following treatment conferred a small benefit.

Key Words: recurrence fears, anxiety, depression, oropharyngeal cancer, psychological intervention, randomised controlled trial, head and neck cancer

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
29
Page End
38
Authors
G M Humphris, S N Rogers

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Editorial
  2. 2
  3. 2

  1. Perceptions of Australian Mothers on Infant Teething: A Pilot Investigation Using a Mixed Methods Approach
  2. 3
  3. 11

  1. Patient satisfaction following treatment with intravenous sedation
  2. 10
  3. 14

  1. The psychology of care and cure in dental anxiety
  2. 15
  3. 19

  1. Acquisition and measurement of dental anxiety: a summary paper
  2. 20
  3. 24

  1. Dental anxiety and the oral health of the population
  2. 25
  3. 28

  1. AFTER and beyond: cancer recurrence fears and a test of an intervention in oral and oropharyngeal patients
  2. 29
  3. 38

  1. Testing and developing psychological models for early recognition of (oral) cancer
  2. 39
  3. 41

  1. Positive growth after treatment for head and neck cancer
  2. 42
  3. 45