PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - DIRK RADES
AU  - CARLOS A. NARVAEZ
AU  - LIESA DZIGGEL
AU  - SOEREN TVILSTED
AU  - TROELS W. KJAER
AU  - STEVEN E. SCHILD
AU  - TOBIAS BARTSCHT
TI  - Emotional Problems Prior to Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer
AID  - 10.21873/invivo.12561
DP  - 2021 Sep 01
TA  - In Vivo
PG  - 2763--2770
VI  - 35
IP  - 5
4099  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/35/5/2763.short
4100  - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/35/5/2763.full
SO  - In Vivo2021 Sep 01; 35
AB  - Background/Aim: Being scheduled for radiotherapy can cause emotional distress. This study aimed to identify risk factors in 338 patients assigned to radiotherapy for breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Nineteen potential risk factors including the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated for associations with the six emotional problems included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer. Results: Worry and fears were significantly associated with age ≤60 years; sadness with age and Karnofsky performance score (KPS) <90; depression with KPS and Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥3; loss of interest with KPS. Trends were found for associations between sadness and additional breast cancer/DCIS, Charlson Index and chemotherapy; between depression and additional breast cancer/DCIS, treatment volume and nodal stage N1-3; between nervousness and additional breast cancer/DCIS, mastectomy and triple-negativity; between loss of interest and Charlson Index, family history of breast cancer/DCIS, invasive cancer, chemotherapy, and treatment volume. The COVID-19 pandemic did not increase emotional problems. Conclusion: Several risk factors for emotional problems were identified. Patients with such factors should receive psychological support well before radiotherapy.