Anxiety levels of breast cancer patients in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic

YASİN A. İ., TOPÇU A., SHBAIR A. T., SUCUOĞLU İŞLEYEN Z., ÖZTÜRK A., BEŞİROĞLU M., ...More

FUTURE ONCOLOGY, vol.17, pp.3373-3381, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 17
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.2217/fon-2020-1265
  • Journal Name: FUTURE ONCOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE
  • Page Numbers: pp.3373-3381
  • Keywords: breast cancer, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, metastasis, women's health, QUALITY-OF-LIFE, DEPRESSION, PREDICTORS, CHEMOTHERAPY, PREVALENCE, DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, SAMPLE, HEALTH, CARE
  • Bezmialem Vakıf University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Aim: To assess the anxiety levels of breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials & methods: A total of 298 patients completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S and STAI-T) and the Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety (VAS) and VAS for Anxiety in COVID-19 (VAS-CoV). Results: 144 patients were in the high anxiety category for STAI-S, and 202 patients were in the high anxiety category for STAI-T. STAI-T score was significantly high in the metastatic group (p = 0.017). VAS-CoV score in the hormonotherapy group was significantly higher than in the no-treatment group (p = 0.023). There was a positive correlation between VAS-CoV and VAS levels (r = 0.708, p < 0.001), VAS-CoV and STAI-S and STAI-T scores (r = 0.402, p < 0.001; r = 0.185, p = 0.001, respectively), and a negative correlation between education years and STAI-T scores (r = -0.172, p = 0.003). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is related to high anxiety levels in breast cancer patients.