Anxiety and stress in women with suspected endometrial cancer: Survey and paired observational study
Menée au Royaume-Uni par questionnaire auprès de 250 femmes présentant une suspicion de cancer de l'endomètre (âge : 50-59 ans), cette étude observationnelle analyse les facteurs associés à leur niveau de stress et d'anxiété
Objective : To determine the anxiety and stress levels of women with suspected endometrial cancer and factors affecting this. Methods : Prospective survey and paired observational study of consecutive women with suspected endometrial cancer in a rapid access gynaecology clinic. Structured questionnaire including a GAD‐7 anxiety test and a modified stress thermometer. Patients ranked their perception of a cancer diagnosis on 0‐5 Likert scale (0 = confident not cancer and 5 = cancer). Patients requiring an endometrial tissue biopsy were asked to rank their pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS), this was paired with the survey results. Results : 250 patients completed the study and 23 of which underwent an endometrial tissue biopsy. The median age was 50‐59 years old and 59% of women spoke English as their first language. 32% of patients had significant levels of anxiety with GAD‐7 score ≥10. The median stress score was 3 out of 5 on Likert scale. GAD‐7 anxiety scores were higher in women who perceived that they received insufficient information prior to clinic (sufficient information 5 vs insufficient information 9.5, P = 0.00036) or had a disability (disability 9 vs no disability 5.5, P = 0.00374). The median VAS score from the biopsies was 7 out of 10 (range 1‐10). Patients with higher anxiety levels (GAD‐7 scores) were more likely to believe they had cancer P <0.00001. Conclusions : These findings confirm high levels of anxiety and stress in women with suspected endometrial cancer. Adequate pre‐clinic information is essential, particularly for minority groups.
Psycho-Oncology 2021