Abstract 1432P
Background
Cancer patients and survivors dealing with adverse events due to cancer treatment, experience impairments in their overall quality of life. In particular, literature reports the potential cardiotoxic effects of cancer therapies, clinically observable up to 10 years after the completion of interventions. However, even though associations between psycho-social factors and cardiovascular diseases have been appreciated in literature, less attention has been given to psycho-social features as correlates of cancer treatment adverse events.
Methods
To address this gap in literature, we completed a two-round Delphi consensus study in order to obtain an expert consensus regarding which psycho-social variables may be linked to cancer treatment adverse events. First, through a literature narrative review, we identified 23 psychosocial constructs related to cardiovascular diseases. Then, a panel of experts, consisting of 32 researchers and professionals in the field of psycho-oncology, clinical and health psychology and oncology, were invited via email to participate in the online Delphi consensus procedure. Participants were asked to rate their level of agreement on considering and measuring the selected constructs on a 5-point Likert scale, to give reasons for their evaluations, and finally to suggest any further variable.
Results
Coming from the two-round Delphi consensus study have suggested the importance of considering fifteen psychological constructs such as anxiety, caregiver burden, cognitive impairment, depression, distress, fatigue, generalized anxiety disorder, loneliness, perceived social support, perceived stress, quality of life, self-control and self-management, stressful life events, self-efficacy, and resilience. Perceived stress and distress were the variables showing the highest level of consensus.
Conclusions
Psycho-social factors may have an impact on adjustment and self-management of cancer treatment adverse events; in particular perceived stress is considered to play a key role. Further studies in this direction are crucial to better investigate direct and indirect links of these psychological constructs with the management of treatment-related adverse events.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
CARDIOCARE European Project, a HORIZON2020 funded project (Grant agreement ID: 945175).
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.