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Cited by 28Cancer survivorship and careCOVID-19 and Mental HealthCOVID-19 and healthcare impacts

On top of that all, now Covid-19, too. A scoping review of specificities and correlates of fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer patients during COVID-19

Open access
Kállay, Éva, Medrea, Flavia, Dégi, Csaba László·2022·The Breast
DOI 10.1016/j.breast.2022.02.007PMC PMC8828428
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Abstract

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a normal response in cancer survivors and one of the most prevalent reactions reported by up to 87% of them. However, elevated levels of FCR impair well-being, quality of life and professional functioning, and lead to anxiety, depression or PTSD. COVID-19 pandemic can exacerbate FCR symptoms, given the restricting access to follow-up investigations and treatment, the isolation restrictions imposed and the possibility of the medical system becoming overworked. This scoping review's objective was to synthesize the literature investigating the factors associated with higher levels of FCR in cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus was on FCR in breast cancer patients, including most of the studies (5 out of 9) on this topic. However, given the novelty of the subject, the increased interest in it, and the fact that there are few studies in this field, the review included 4 other studies with mixed samples of patients with breast cancer and other oncological pathologies. Following rigorous methodological criteria, 9 studies with quantitative or mixed methodology were included (N = 4831 patients). The results indicate that high levels of FCR are associated with distress and concerns regarding the pandemic impact, with most common concerns of patients being changes in treatment plan (delays and interruptions), dysfunctional communication with medical staff or difficult access to food or medicine. The most common correlates of FCR during the pandemic are marital status, childlessness, low financial status, level of education, type of cancer diagnosis, generalized anxiety and depression.

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  • A scoping review of the potential impact of the pandemic on cancer survivors (26% breast), based on a total of 4831 people, revealed a statistically significant increase in distress and FCR compared to similar patient populations pre-pandemic.

    “A scoping review of the potential impact of the pandemic on cancer survivors (26% breast), based on a total of 4831 people, revealed a statistically significant increase in distress and FCR compared to similar patient populations pre-pandemic [23].”

    From Adapting an in-person acceptance and commitment therapy–based psychological intervention for fear of cancer recurrence into a digital format: a real-world evaluation during the COVID-19 pandemic (2025) · cites this paper as [23]

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  • The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the devastating effects of limited access to usual face-to-face care and social isolation on health anxiety and FCR.

    “This has been especially pertinent since the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the devastating effects of limited access to usual face-to-face care and social isolation on health anxiety [22, 23] and FCR [24].”

    From Web-based interventions for fear of cancer recurrence: A scoping review with a focus on suggestions for the development and evaluation of future interventions (2024) · cites this paper as [24]

    The Conclusions (page unavailable) say that restricted access to follow-up and treatment and isolation restrictions can exacerbate FCR, and report elevated FCR during the pandemic. The citation is attached to FCR, not health anxiety. The source does not specifically establish that loss of face-to-face care and social isolation had the definite, ‘devastating’ causal effects the citing sentence implies. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [5]Ganz P.A. Stanton A.L. Psychosocial and physical health in post-treatment and extended cancer survivorship Clinical psycho-oncology: an international perspective 2012 John Wiley & Sons West Sussex 237 247
  2. [8]Singer S. Psychosocial impact of cancer Psycho-Oncology 2018 Springer 1 11

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Authors
Kállay, É., Medrea, F., & Dégi, C. L.
Affiliations
Babeș-Bolyai University (RO)
Corresponding author
Dégi, Csaba László
ORCID
Venue
The Breast
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-04
Volume
62
Pages
123-134
ISSN
0960-9776 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.breast.2022.02.007
PMC
PMC8828428
OpenAlex
W4211035032
Cited by
28
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7
FWCI
0.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The Breast (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii (PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-0097)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
Keywords
fear of cancer recurrence, breast cancer survivors, COVID-19 pandemic, cancer-related distress, treatment delay, health care access, psychological well-being, anxiety, depression, marital status, socioeconomic factors, quality of life
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Breast Neoplasms, Fear, Female, Humans, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local, Quality of Life, Pandemics

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