Fear of Cancer Recurrence as a Mediator Between Illness Perception and Quality of Life Among Prostate Cancer Survivors

Mohammad Tajik

Authors

Mohammad Tajik Department of Nursing, TeMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1587-3450

Keywords:

fear of cancer recurrence, illness perception, mediation, prostate cancer, quality of life, survivorship

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the mediating role of FCR in the association between illness perception and quality of life among prostate cancer survivors attending a selected hospital affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 300 prostate cancer survivors. Illness perception was assessed using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, FCR using the Severity subscale of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory, and quality of life using the EORTC QLQ-C30 Global Health Status/Quality of Life scale. Mediation was tested using PROCESS Model 4 with 10,000 bias-corrected bootstrap resamples while controlling for relevant demographic and clinical variables.

Findings: More threatening illness perceptions significantly predicted greater FCR (β = .51, p < .001) and poorer quality of life (β = −.27, p < .001). Greater FCR was independently associated with poorer quality of life (β = −.43, p < .001). The indirect effect of illness perception on quality of life through FCR was significant (B = −0.36, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.49, −0.25]), accounting for approximately 45% of the total association. The adjusted model explained 53% of the variance in quality of life.

Conclusion: FCR partially mediated the relationship between illness perception and quality of life. Assessing and targeting threatening illness representations and recurrence-related fears may improve psychosocial adjustment and quality of life among prostate cancer survivors.

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References

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