Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2019

Incidence and severity of scanxiety in people with advanced solid cancers: results from a multicentre questionnaire (#380)

Kim Tam Bui 1 , Haryana M Dhillon 2 3 , Chris Brown 4 , Belinda E Kiely 1 , Prunella Blinman 1
  1. Medical Oncology, Concord Cancer Centre, Concord, NSW, Australia
  2. Psycho-Oncology Cooperative Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  3. Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-based Decision-making, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  4. NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Camperdown, NSW, Australia

Aims: Scan-associated anxiety (‘scanxiety’) is commonly experienced by people with cancer. This study aimed to quantify the incidence and severity of scanxiety and identify factors associated with scanxiety in adults with advanced solid cancers.

Methods: Adults with advanced solid cancers who had had a computed tomography (CT) scan to monitor their cancer within the previous four months were invited to complete a 100-item questionnaire on paper or online. Participants included outpatients attending a metropolitan cancer centre (Concord) and members of the online Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) Review & Survey group. Scanxiety was self-rated using the 10-point distress thermometer. The questionnaire assessed state-trait anxiety (STAI-6), anxiety and depression (HADS) and fear of progression (FOP-Q-SF). Clinical factors were evaluated for associations with scanxiety.

Results: 131 questionnaires were completed: 95 from Concord Cancer Centre and 36 from BCNA. Participant characteristics: median age 63 years (range, 26-87); female (64%); breast (47%), lung (16%) or bowel (15%) cancer; last CT within one month (61%), and; 74% received the result within 7 days of their CT scan. Over half (53%) of participants reported experiencing scanxiety. Women were more likely to report scanxiety than men (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 6.5, p=0.006). Participants reporting scanxiety had higher mean scores for: anxiety (p<0.001); depression (p=0.003) and; fear of progression (p<0.001). Scanxiety was not associated with time since the last CT scan (p=0.10). Among those with scanxiety, the median severity was 6.6 (range, 2-10). The only factors associated with more severe levels of scanxiety were higher scores for anxiety (p=0.003) and fear of progression (p<0.001). There was no association between severity of scanxiety and time from CT scan to receiving the result.

Conclusions: Scanxiety was common and often severe. This data supports the need for prospective research to better understand scanxiety, and to inform development of interventions.