Post-traumatic growth 5 years after cancer: identification of associated actionable factors

Background The number of cancer survivors is growing increasingly worldwide. The long-term negative consequences of the disease are now better known. Cancer may also foster positive outcomes. Some survivors consider life after cancer as the start of a new life and experience positive changes called...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Supportive care in cancer 2022-10, Vol.30 (10), p.8261-8270
Main Authors: Evans, Catherine, Saliba-Serre, Bérengère, Préau, Marie, Bendiane, Marc-Karim, Gonçalves, Anthony, Signoli, Michel, Bouhnik, Anne-Déborah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cancer
Exercise
Health behavior
Health psychology
Life Sciences
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental health
Nursing
Nursing Research
Oncology
Original Article
Pain Medicine
Post traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic growth
Rehabilitation Medicine
Social support
Surveys
Survivor
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Summary:Background The number of cancer survivors is growing increasingly worldwide. The long-term negative consequences of the disease are now better known. Cancer may also foster positive outcomes. Some survivors consider life after cancer as the start of a new life and experience positive changes called post-traumatic growth (PTG) measured by a scale developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun. Objective The purpose of this article was to explore actionable factors affecting PTG, particularly those in relation with health care management and those that reflected health behavior changes. Methods This study included the 1,982 participants in the VICAN cohort who responded to the questionnaire on living conditions 2 and 5 years after diagnosis. Factors associated with a moderate or high PTG (score ≥ 63) were identified using logistic regressions. Results Factors positively associated with moderate or high PTG were being satisfied with the time spent by health care team on information (OR:1.35 [1.08;1.70]), increased physical activity (OR:1.42 [1.04;1.95]) and healthier diet (OR:1.85 [1.44;2.36]) since diagnosis, and having benefited from psychological support at diagnosis (OR:1.53 [1.16;2.01]). Conclusion High PTG is positively associated with health behavior and time spent on information. Our findings suggest that appropriate clinical and educational interventions can help foster growth after the experience of cancer. Even if we do not know what causes what, it is admitted that the interventions leading to an increase of physical activity, for example, are good from all points of view.
ISSN:0941-4355
1433-7339
DOI:10.1007/s00520-022-07253-6