Fear of Cancer Recurrence Common Decades After Surviving Childhood Cancer
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 2024 -- A third of childhood cancer survivors experience fear of recurrence even decades later, according to a study published online Oct. 3 in JAMA Network Open.
Alex Pizzo, from Concordia University in Montreal, and colleagues characterized the prevalence of and risk factors for clinically significant fear of cancer recurrence in adult survivors of childhood cancer. The analysis included 229 participants in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (treated at 31 institutions between 1970 and 1999).
The researchers found that among survivors, 16.6 percent reported a clinically significant fear of cancer recurrence, and an additional 15.7 percent reported a high fear of cancer recurrence. There was an association between a clinically significant fear of cancer recurrence and unemployment (prevalence ratio [PR], 2.5), presence of neurologic chronic health conditions (PR, 3.3), treatment with pelvic radiation (PR, 2.9), and amputation or limb-sparing surgery (PR, 2.4). There was an also association observed between a higher risk for clinically significant fear of cancer recurrence and having either elevated anxiety or depression (PR, 2.6), having both elevated (PR, 3.2), and perceived poor health status (PR, 3.0).
"Findings suggest that fear of cancer recurrence should be routinely screened, and clinically significant symptoms intervened upon as a part of survivorship care," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
Adding Anxiety as Qualifier for Medical Cannabis Increases Number of Certifications
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- Adding anxiety disorders as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis in Pennsylvania was associated with an increase in certifications, according to a...
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Affordability Tied to Widening Survival Disparity
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was associated with a widening survival disparity between those with private insurance and those...
Risk for Severe COVID-19 Elevated for Childhood Cancer Survivors
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- Childhood cancer survivors have a lower risk for registered COVID-19 infection but a higher risk for severe COVID-19, according to a study published...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.