Three-year trajectories and associated factors of fear of cancer recurrence in newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients: a longitudinal study

Purpose: Limited data exists on the long-term course of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. One in five patients was found to experience persistent high FCR in the first months after diagnosis. This study assessed the 3-year trajectories and associated factors of FCR in newly diagnosed HNC patients. Methods: Six hundred twenty-one patients from the NETherlands Quality of life and Biomedical Cohort study (NET-QUBIC) completed the FCR assessment at baseline, 3-, 6-, 12-, 24-, and 36-months posttreatment. Trajectories of FCR were identified using latent class growth analysis. Multinominal logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between FCR trajectories and baseline demographic and medical variables, personality, and coping. Results: Three FCR trajectories were identified: “consistently high” (n = 45, 7%), “elevated and declining” (n = 209, 34%), and “low and declining” (n = 367, 59%). Patients in the “elevated and declining” and “consistently high” trajectory were younger, had more comorbidities, higher negative adjustment, a higher level of neuroticism, more social support seeking, and more reliance on passive and palliative coping strategies. Conclusion: Three years following diagnosis, the majority of HNC patients showed a resilient FCR trajectory whereas a small percentage of HNC patients (7%) showed persistent high FCR over time. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Younger patients and those with a higher level of neuroticism or maladaptive coping strategies were more vulnerable to have a consistent high level of FCR over time. It is important to identify these patients to provide optimal and tailored psychosocial support.