Key result
Cancer-related fatigue and poor cognitive function are linked to high anxiety in breast cancer survivors.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to explore the association between anxiety levels and health outcomes in long-term breast cancer survivors and to identify predictors of anxiety in this population.
Does anxiety level affect health outcomes and what are its predictors in long-term breast cancer survivors?
Cross-Sectional (n=80)
Yes
Does anxiety level affect health outcomes and what are its predictors in long-term breast cancer survivors?
Effect estimate: β = 0.51 for total CRF
p-value: p=<0.01
In long-term breast cancer survivors, higher anxiety is prevalent and associated with worse health outcomes, with cancer-related fatigue and cognitive functioning being key predictors.
Fatigue and cognitive dysfunction merit assessment in anxious survivors; leaves open causality and intervention effects.
Purpose: To explore the association between anxiety levels and health outcomes in long-term breast cancer survivors (LTBCSs) and to identify predictors of anxiety in this population. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted with 80 LTBCSs, categorized into two groups based on their anxiety levels: low anxiety (≤3.4) and high anxiety (≥3.5). The analysis focused on variables assessed at least five years after diagnosis, including sociodemographic and clinical data, mood, cancer-related fatigue (CRF), pain, self-perceived physical fitness, physical activity (PA), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). ANOVA, Mann–Whitney U, and chi-square tests were conducted, along with correlation and multiple regression analysis. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d. Results: Among the participants, 46.25% exhibited higher anxiety levels. This group showed significantly worse mood, self-perceived physical fitness, and HRQoL and elevated CRF and pain (p < 0.05). Regression analysis identified “total CRF” (β = 0.51; p < 0.01) and “cognitive functioning” (β = −0.24; p = 0.02) as significant predictors of higher levels of anxiety (r2 adjusted = 0.470). Conclusions: Anxiety significantly impacts multiple dimensions of health in LTBCSs. Total CRF and cognitive functioning are key predictors of anxiety. These findings have direct clinical implications: routine psychological and physical assessments should be integrated into survivorship care to identify individuals at risk and inform targeted interventions to enhance long-term well-being and HRQoL.
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Álvarez-Salvago et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Breast cancer (n=80). High anxiety (≥3.5) vs. Low anxiety (≤3.4) was evaluated on Predictors of higher levels of anxiety (β = 0.51 for total CRF, p=<0.01). High anxiety in long-term breast cancer survivors was significantly predicted by total cancer-related fatigue (β=0.51, p<0.01) and worse cognitive functioning (β=-0.24, p=0.02).
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