Psychosocial, Demographic Factors Related to Worry in Patients With Melanoma Identified

Researchers have identified psychosocial, clinical, and demographic factors that may contribute to worry in patients with melanoma such as age and occupation, according to a study published in Melanoma Research.¹

Researchers led by Zoe Rogers, MSc, of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, conducted the questionnaire-based Leeds Melanoma Cohort study of a population-ascertained cohort of 2184 patients who had been diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma in the 3 to 6 months prior to initiation.

They used Pearson x²-tests and odds ratios as well as 95% confidence intervals in order to test pairwise association between categorical variables and assess the effects of predictor variables on the outcome measure of melanoma-related worry.

The study found that a total of 520 patients felt worried about their future with respect to melanoma while 1568 felt confident. Worry was found to be less likely in men with partners compared to women with partners, and increasing age was protective against worry.

Worry was found to be more likely for patients with stage 3/4 melanoma, patients with melanoma arising in sun-protected sites or no occupation, those who reported insufficient emotional support from health care providers, those who had perceived financial hardship, and those with over 3 previous negative life events.

“The study supports the view that individuals with melanoma who worry most about the future may do so because of the cumulative effects of stress (both disease and non-cancer related) and a perceived lack of support from healthcare teams and within their lives generally,” the authors concluded.

Reference

1. Rogers Z, Elliot F, Kasparian NA, et al. Psychosocial, clinical and demographic features related to worry in patients with melanoma [published online ahead of print May 18, 2016]. Melanoma Research. doi: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000000266.