Trajectory and predictors of psychological distress and posttraumatic growth among rectal cancer patients undergoing combined modality treatment: An exploratory prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This exploratory prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the trajectory of psychological distress and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in rectal cancer patients from diagnosis to follow-up and to explore factors that could predict PTG and psychological distress at follow-up. METHOD: ) age: 61.6 (12.6); 67.4% men, after diagnosis (T0), after preoperative radiochemotherapy (T1), after surgical resection (T2), and 1 year after surgery (T3, follow-up). CONCLUSIONS: The (fluctuating and linear, respectively) trajectories of psychological distress and PTG seem to be related to the psychological reactions to the different treatment phases, especially diagnosis and preoperative treatment. Data suggest the need to implement psychological screening and tailored support programs aimed at fostering PTG and reducing psychological distress from the earliest phases of cancer treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).