Patients’ and Oncologists’ Perspectives On A Novel Clinician Led Fear of Cancer Recurrence (CIFeR) Intervention

Despite strong demand from breast cancer survivors, there is a dearth of flexibly delivered, accessible psychological interventions addressing fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). This study aimed to explore patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives concerning the experience, utility and barriers to a novel clinician-led FCR intervention (CIFeR). Twenty female participants (mean age, 59.8, SD = 11.43), diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer (mean years since diagnosis = 2.8, SD = 1.37 years) participated in telephone interviews, and their five oncologists completed a semi-structured electronic survey. Thematic qualitative analyses were performed on interview transcripts and survey responses. Findings indicated both patients and clinicians were positive about CIFeR with perceived cognitive, behavioural and emotional benefits of CIFeR most pronounced for patients with clinically significant FCR. All patients, however, found that receiving CIFeR (especially the tailored prognostic information) from their oncologists with whom they had a long-standing relationship added a much-needed human element to addressing FCR. Similarly, clinicians valued CIFeR as a clear and consistent way to address unmet needs around FCR, with some barriers around time, language and cultural issues noted. Overall, all participants perceived CIFeR as strongly beneficial in reducing FCR and related worries, thus warranting further evaluation of its utility in clinical practice.