Exploring the role of resilience and quality of life in preoperative fear of cancer recurrence among patients with oral and maxillofacial cancer: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aims Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common concern among cancer survivors; however, its prevalence and determinants in patients with oral and maxillofacial cancers have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to assess the severity of FCR and explore the relationships among resilience, quality of life (QoL), and FCR in preoperative oral and maxillofacial cancer patients. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in tertiary hospitals in China from March to July 2024. The study collected demographic and clinical data, the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form (FCRI-SF), the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results The study included 281 preoperative oral and maxillofacial cancer patients. The mean FCRI-SF score was 17.38 (SD = 4.73), with 85.1% of the participants exhibiting high FCR. Resilience, as measured by CD-RISC-10, had a mean score of 23.33 (SD = 3.85), whereas QoL, measured by the UW-QOL, had an average of 58.36 (SD = 8.61). Correlation analysis revealed significant associations among age, sex, first treatment, resilience, QoL, and FCR. Multiple linear regression revealed that QoL and sex were significant predictors of FCR, explaining 40.1% of the variance ( P  < 0.001). Higher QoL was associated with lower FCR, and males reported lower levels of FCR than females did. Discussion Preoperative oral and maxillofacial cancer patients experience elevated levels of FCR, which are influenced by various socio-demographic and clinical factors. These findings highlight the need for healthcare providers to develop targeted interventions and comprehensive support systems to address FCR effectively in this high-risk group.