Bracing for the worst? Real-time scanxiety and uncertainty management during cancer surveillance.

Objectives: "Scanxiety" is a common and distressing experience that can negatively impact quality of life after completing cancer treatment, yet little research has investigated risk factors for scanxiety as it emerges in real time. This study used an ecological momentary assessment design to examine how uncertainty management strategies predict the experience of "scanxiety," operationalized via self-reported fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in the days before, on, and after a routine surveillance scan or test.

Method: Adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer ( = 55, = 17.

Scanxiety and Fear of Recurrence in Young Adult Female Breast and Gynaecological Cancer Survivors: Investigating Shared Mechanisms.

Background: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) females are vulnerable to psychological sequelae following cancer diagnosis and treatment. Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is well-documented in cancer survivors, however AYA survivors of breast and gynaecological cancers are less well-studied. Moreover, little is known about scan-related fears and anxiety ('scanxiety') in survivors of any age group.

The bodily threat monitoring scale: Development and preliminary validation in adult and childhood cancer survivors.

Objective: Bodily threat monitoring is a core clinical feature of Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and is targeted in psycho-oncology treatments, yet no comprehensive self-report measure exists. The aim of this study was the theory-informed development and initial validation of the Bodily Threat Monitoring Scale (BTMS).

Methods: Adult survivors of breast and gynaecological cancers (Study 1: N = 306, age = 37-81 years) and childhood cancer survivors (Study 2: N = 126, age = 10-25 years) completed the BTMS, designed to assess how individuals monitor for and interpret uncertain symptoms as indicating that something is wrong with their body.

Body Mindsets are Associated With Pain and Threat-Related Risk Factors for Pain in Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

Pain is a common consequence of childhood cancer. While most research has examined biomedical predictors of post-cancer pain, biopsychosocial conceptualisations such as the cancer threat interpretation (CTI) model hold promise for guiding comprehensive pain management strategies. Guided by the CTI model, this cross-sectional study evaluated correlates of post-cancer pain in childhood cancer survivors including threat-related risk factors (bodily threat monitoring, fear of cancer recurrence, help-seeking) and mindsets about the body.

International Survey of Pediatric Oncologists' Beliefs and Communication Practices Regarding Symptom Self-Monitoring by Childhood Cancer Survivors.

Purpose: Childhood cancer survivors report self-monitoring for and worrying about symptoms of disease recurrence and secondary cancers, although symptom-related worry is associated with poorer health-related quality of life. This survey captured pediatric oncologists' beliefs and communication practices regarding symptom self-monitoring for childhood cancer survivors.

Methods: Using a closed-loop snowball sampling technique, pediatric oncologists completed an online survey regarding the importance of symptom self-monitoring for off-therapy patients, the degree to which symptom self-monitoring was perceived to cause stress and worry, and communication practices.

Agile development of a digital exposure treatment for youth with chronic musculoskeletal pain: protocol of a user-centred design approach and examination of feasibility and preliminary efficacy.

Introduction: Chronic pain affects a significant number of children and impacts multiple domains including social, emotional and behavioural functioning, and negatively impacts family functioning. Roughly 5% of youth with chronic pain experience moderate to severe pain-related disability, with pain-related fear and avoidance of activities being identified as substantial barriers to treatment engagement. Evidence supports targeted psychological and physical interventions to address these barriers (eg, graded-exposure treatment), but accessibility to intervention is undermined by a shortage of services outside of urban areas, high treatment-related costs, and long provider waitlists; highlighting the need to develop digitally delivered behavioural intervention, using agile and iterative study designs that support rapid development and timely dissemination.

Smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment to study "scanxiety" among Adolescent and Young Adult survivors of childhood cancer: A feasibility study.

Objective: Scan-related anxiety ("scanxiety") refers to the fear, stress, and anxiety in anticipation of tests and scans in follow-up cancer care. This study assessed the feasibility of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for real-world, real-time capture of scanxiety using patients' personal smartphone.

Methods: Adolescent and Young Adult survivors of childhood cancer were prompted to complete EMA surveys on a smartphone app three times per day for 11 days (33 surveys total) around their routine surveillance scans.