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Patterns of adaptation in patients living long term with advanced cancer†‡
Article first published online: 4 SEP 2009
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24584
Copyright © 2009 American Cancer Society
Issue
1097-0142/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=a7299bc18f075294c232ade468773cd0672bd470 "Cancer")
Cancer
Supplement: Cancer Survivorship Research: Mapping the New Challenges Atlanta, Georgia, Supplement to Cancer
Volume 115, Issue Supplement 18, pages 4298–4310, 15 September 2009
Additional Information
How to Cite
Rose, J. H., Kypriotakis, G., Bowman, K. F., Einstadter, D., O'Toole, E. E., Mechekano, R. and Dawson, N. V. (2009), Patterns of adaptation in patients living long term with advanced cancer. Cancer, 115: 4298–4310. doi: 10.1002/cncr.24584
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Cosponsored by the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship, the Office of Cancer Survivorship of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Cancer Society's Behavioral Research Center.
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Presented at the Fourth Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference entitled “Cancer Survivorship Research: Mapping the New Challenges,” Atlanta, Georgia, June 18-20, 2008.
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Fax: (216) 778-5935
Publication History
- Issue published online: 4 SEP 2009
- Article first published online: 4 SEP 2009
- Manuscript Accepted: 4 JUN 2009
- Manuscript Revised: 8 APR 2009
- Manuscript Received: 15 JAN 2009
Funded by
- National Cancer Institute. Grant Number: R01-CA10282
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development. Grant Number: Merit: HR-03-255
- American Cancer Society. Grant Number: ROG-04-090-01
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- adaptation;
- advanced cancer;
- long-term survivorship;
- psychospiritual well being
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
With improved treatment, increasing proportions of patients with advanced cancer are surviving longer with their disease: into a second year after diagnosis and beyond. These longer term survivors face continuing challenges in selecting and shifting personal life goals and goals of care over years (rather than months) of life with incurable cancer. Studies are needed to explore adaptation over time in patients who are living longer term with late-stage cancer, including anxiety, depression, and spiritual well being, which are conceptualized as indicators of psychospiritual well being in patients with advanced cancer.
METHODS:
Psychospiritual well being and adaptation were explored in a study of middle-aged and older patients with advanced cancer (N = 142) who survived into a second year after diagnosis and were assessed in interviews across 4 time points. Examining patterns of adaptation over time called for in depth analytical techniques to identify variation in key outcome trajectories. General growth mixture modeling was used to explore heterogeneity in adaptation using a multivariate parallel model of anxiety, depression. and spiritual well being.
RESULTS:
Modeling revealed 3 distinct group trajectories of psychospiritual well being and adaptation (low-worsening, moderate-improving, and high-stable). Age and education were correlated with group membership. Advanced cancer survivors who were older and had more years of education were more likely to be members of the high-stable group in psychospiritual adaptation throughout the study.
CONCLUSIONS:
The current findings suggested that psychospiritual adaptation, as measured in this study, is not uniform but is characterized by heterogeneous trajectories. The results contribute to the development of better hypotheses regarding the processes of adaptation in longer term survivors with advanced cancer and to the identification of potential subgroups at greatest risk for poor outcomes. Cancer 2009;115(18 suppl):4298–310. © 2009 American Cancer Society.