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    The psychological impact of a colorectal cancer diagnosis following a negative fecal occult blood test result.

    Miles, Anne and McClements, P. and Steele, R. and Redeker, C. and Sevdalis, N. and Wardle, J. (2015) The psychological impact of a colorectal cancer diagnosis following a negative fecal occult blood test result. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 24 (7), pp. 1032-1038. ISSN 1055-9965.

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    Abstract

    - Background: Screening using fecal occult blood testing (FOBt) reduces colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality, but the test has low sensitivity. A 'missed' cancer may cause psychological harms in the screened population that partially counteract the benefits of early detection. - Methods: 311 people diagnosed with CRC: i) after a negative FOBt result (interval cancer), ii) a positive result (screen-detected cancer), or iii) in regions where screening was not offered, completed questions on quality of life (FACT-C), depression (CES-D), perceived diagnostic delay, and trust in the results of FOBt screening. 15 withheld consent to data matching with medical records, leaving a sample size of 296. - Results: Controlling for demographic and clinical variables, patients with an interval cancer reported poorer quality of life (difference in means = 6.16, p = 0.03) and more diagnostic delay (OR: 0.37, p = 0.02) than patients with screen-detected disease, with no differences in depression. No differences were observed between the interval cancer group and the group not offered screening on these measures. Patients with an interval cancer reported the lowest levels of trust in FOB testing. Conclusions: An interval cancer has adverse effects on trust in FOBt but does not result in worse psychological outcomes compared with people diagnosed in areas with no screening programme. People with an interval cancer report poorer quality of life than people with screen-detected disease. - Impact: Improvements in test sensitivity could improve quality of life among people who complete an FOB test over and above any benefits already conferred by earlier detection.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences
    Depositing User: Anne Miles
    Date Deposited: 19 Jun 2015 11:17
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:16
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/12071

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