Social-cognitive processes associated with fear of recurrence among women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancers

Objective: This cross sectional study aimed to characterize fears of recurrence among women newly diagnosed with gynecologic cancer. The study also evaluated models predicting the impact of recurrence fears on psychological distress through social and cognitive variables. Methods: Women (N = 150) who participated in a randomized clinical trial comparing a coping and communication intervention to a supportive counseling intervention to usual care completed baseline surveys that were utilized for the study. The survey included the Concerns about Recurrence Scale (CARS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Impact of Event Scale (IES), and measures of social (holding back from sharing concerns and negative responses from family and friends) and cognitive (positive reappraisal, efficacy appraisal, and self-esteem appraisal) variables. Medical data was obtained via medical chart review. Results: Moderate-to-high levels of recurrence fears were reported by 47 of the women. Younger age (p