Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT1852

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) exhibits a high long-term survival rate in contrast to other types of cancer. Despite its favorable prognosis, fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is common among thyroid cancer survivors. The prognosis of ATA (American Thyroid Association) low-risk disease is more favorable than for intermediate and high-risk diseases. However, FCR has also been observed in patients with low-risk PTC. The aim of the study was to compare the FCR in low-risk PTC patients to that of patients in the intermediate and high-risk groups and to examine the factors influencing FCR.

Material&Methods: The present study was conducted on a total of 240 patients diagnosed with PTC between September 2023 and November 2024. The patients were categorized into low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk, according to the ATA risk-stratification system. Each patient completed two questionnaires with the assistance of the same physician. The first was the Fear of Recurrence Inventory (FCRI), which evaluates the fear or anxiety of cancer recurrence; higher scores indicate a greater level of fear. The second was the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), which measures the intensity of anxiety. A multiple linear regression model was utilized to identify the independent determinants of the FCRI score.

Results: 132 patients were classified as low risk, 86 as intermediate risk, and 22 as high risk based on the ATA risk stratification. FCRI scores were found to be similar between low risk (56.50, 24.25-80.50), intermediate risk (50.50, 27.25-73), and high risk (47.50, 35.75-73.25) patients (P = 0.895). There were no significant differences in FCRI scores in terms of gender, marital status, education level, and radioactive iodine (RAI) status (P = 0.085, P = 0.724, P = 0.857, and P = 0.148, respectively). Patients with a disease duration of one to five years had a higher FCRI score (61, 43.50-84.50) in comparison to those with a disease duration of less than one year (50.50, 23.75-71.75) or more than five years (43, 21-70) (P = 0.03). A moderate level of correlation was identified between FCRI and BAI scores (r = 0.441, P < 0.001). FCRI scores of the three ATA risk groups exhibited no significant differences across the four BAI categories (minimal, mild, moderate, and severe) (P = 0.932, P = 0.968, P = 0.562, and P = 0.100, respectively).

Conclusion: FCR was found to be similar between ATA low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk groups, despite the good prognosis. Therefore, appropriate psychosocial care for these patients should be provided at the time of diagnosis and during follow-ups.