ORIGINAL ARTICLE Fear of cancer recurrence in colorectal cancer survivors

Purpose Although long-term colorectal cancer (CRC) survi-vors generally report a good quality of life, fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) remains an important issue. This study in-vestigated whether the Cancer Worry Scale (CWS) can detect high FCR, the prevalence, and characteristics of FCR in CRC survivors. Methods Two hundred and eleven patients who had under-gone successful CRC surgery in the period 2003–2010 in the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands were asked to participate. All patients were sent an informa-tion letter plus questionnaires for collecting information on demographic and medical variables, FCR, distress, and qual-ity of life. Results Seventy-six patients (36 %; median age of 67.7 years range 41–88 years) completed the questionnaires a median of 5.1 years after surgery. A cut-off score of 14 or higher on the CWS was optimal to detect high FCR. Twenty-nine patients (38 %) experienced high levels of FCR, characterized by higher levels of distress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and lower quality of life. These individuals particularly reacted to disease-related triggers, felt helpless, were worried, and experienced limitations in daily functioning. High FCR was not associated with demographic or medical variables. Conclusion Long after successful CRC surgery, FCR is a se-rious problem that impairs the quality of life for a substantial proportion of patients. With the CWS, it is possible to detect high FCR and thereby assist survivors in receiving appropriate care