BACKGROUND Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) has been associated with cancer screening behaviors among cancer survivors, but to the authors' knowledge, the question of whether the same is true for caregivers is unknown. The current study investigated the extent to which FCR among caregivers predicted their cancer screening behaviors years after their relatives' cancer diagnosis. METHODS A total of 813 caregivers (67% of whom were female, mean age of 56 years, and 92% non-Hispanic white) completed surveys 2 years (T1) and 8 years (T2) after their patients' cancer diagnosis. FCR, anxiety (Profile of Mood States-Short Form [POMS-SF]), and general mental health (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [MOS SF-36]) were reported at T1; caregivers' engagement in screening for colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers because of the patients' diagnoses were reported at T2. RESULTS Caregivers were found to engage in cancer screening at rates similar to those of the national average. Controlling for covariates, hierarchical logistic regression modeling for each type of cancer screening demonstrated that greater FCR was linearly related to a higher likelihood of undergoing colorectal cancer screening (odds ratio [OR], 1.15) and maintaining prostate cancer screening (OR, 1.34), but a lower likelihood of maintaining breast cancer screening in an age-appropriate manner (OR, 0.27). Examining curvilinear effects demonstrated that moderate levels of FCR were associated with a higher likelihood of maintaining age-appropriate colorectal cancer screening (OR, 1.48). CONCLUSIONS The overall FCR among caregivers uniquely promotes their engagement in cancer screening behaviors. The role of caregivers' FCR in other types of cancer preventive behaviors and ways to channel FCR concerns into promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors should be investigated.

中文翻译：

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对癌症复发的恐惧促进了癌症幸存者的家庭看护者之间的癌症筛查行为。

背景技术对癌症复发的恐惧（FCR）与癌症幸存者之间的癌症筛查行为有关，但是据作者所知，对于照料者是否同样如此的问题尚不清楚。当前的研究调查了看护者中FCR预测其亲属癌症诊断数年后其癌症筛查行为的程度。方法总共813名护理人员（其中67％为女性，平均年龄为56岁，而92％为非西班牙裔白人）在患者被诊断出癌症后两年（T1）和8年（T2）完成了调查。T1时报告了FCR，焦虑（情绪状态-简表[POMS-SF]）和一般精神健康（医学成果研究36项简表健康调查[MOS SF-36]）；照顾者参与筛查大肠，乳房，由于患者的诊断，前列腺癌和前列腺癌在T2时有报道。结果发现护理人员从事癌症筛查的比率与全国平均水平相似。控制协变量后，针对每种癌症筛查的分层逻辑回归模型表明，较高的FCR与进行结肠直肠癌筛查（可能性比[OR]，1.15）和维持前列腺癌筛查（OR，1.34）的较高可能性呈线性相关，但以适合年龄的方式进行乳腺癌筛查的可能性较低（OR，0.27）。检查曲线效果表明，中等水平的FCR与维持适合年龄的大肠癌筛查的可能性更高（OR，1.48）。结论护理人员的总体FCR独特地促进了他们参与癌症筛查行为。应研究护理人员的FCR在其他类型的癌症预防行为中的作用，以及将FCR问题传达给促进健康的生活方式的途径。