Change in worry over time among Hispanic women with thyroid cancer

J Cancer Surviv. 2022 Aug;16(4):844-852. doi: 10.1007/s11764-021-01078-8. Epub 2021 Oct 11.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess change in worry over time in Hispanic women with thyroid cancer.

Methods: Worry about recurrence, quality of life, family at risk, death, and harm from treatments was assessed in 273 Hispanic women with thyroid cancer diagnosed in 2014-2015. Subjects were recruited from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Los Angeles. Participants were surveyed at two points in time (time 1: 2017-2018 and time 2: 2019). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine correlates with high worry (somewhat, quite a bit, very much) versus low worry (not at all, a little) at time 2.

Results: For the five worry items, 20.1-39.6% had high worry at both time 1 and time 2. An additional 7.6-13.4% had low worry at time 1 that became high worry at time 2. In multivariable logistic regression controlling for age, recurrence status, education level, and number of complications or side effects symptoms, younger age (20-39) as compared to older (40-79) was associated with high worry about thyroid cancer recurrence (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.12-4.17). History of recurrent or persistent disease was associated with high worry about harms from treatment (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.29-6.67). Greater number of complications or side effects of symptoms was associated with more worry across all five items.

Conclusions: Some Hispanic women with thyroid cancer have persistently high worry, with young adult Hispanic women vulnerable to worry about recurrence.

Implications for cancer survivors: Hispanic women with thyroid cancer may benefit from targeted psychosocial support during survivorship, with interventions informed by patient and cancer characteristics.

Keywords: AYA; Psychosocial; Survivorship; Thyroid cancer; Women; Worry.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anxiety / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / psychology
  • Quality of Life* / psychology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / psychology
  • Young Adult