Background and objectives: Despite a generally good prognosis, testicular cancer can be a
life-altering event. We explored perceived positive and negative life changes after testicular cancer in
terms of frequency, demographic and disease-related predictors, and associations with depression
and anxiety. Materials and methods: All testicular cancer survivors receiving follow-up care at two specialized
outpatient treatment facilities were approached at follow-up visits or via mail. We assessed
a total of N = 164 patients (66% participation rate, mean time since diagnosis: 11.6 years, SD = 7.4)
by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI, modified version assessing positive and negative
changes for each of 21 items), Patient-Health-Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized-Anxiety-
Disorder-Scale-7 (GAD-7). We conducted controlled multivariate regression analyses. Results: Most
survivors (87%) reported at least one positive change (mean number: 7.2, SD = 5.0, possible range:
0–21). The most frequent perceived positive changes were greater appreciation of life (62%), changed
priorities in life (62%), and ability rely on others (51%). At least one negative change was perceived
by 33% (mean number of changes: 1.1, SD = 2.5). Negative changes were most frequent for decreases
in self-reliance (14%), personal strength (11%), and ability to express emotions (9%). A higher socioeconomic
status was associated with more positive changes ( = 0.25, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.42); no other
association with demographic and disease-related predictors emerged. While positive life changes
were not associated with depression ( = 0.05, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.07) and anxiety ( = 0.00, 95%
CI 0.13 to 0.13), more negative life changes were significantly associated with higher depression
( = 0.15, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.27) and anxiety ( = 0.23, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.36). There was no significant
interaction of positive and negative changes on depression or anxiety. Conclusions: Although positive
life changes after testicular cancer are common, a significant number of survivors perceive negative
changes in life domains that have been primarily investigated in terms of personal growth. Early
identification of and psychosocial support for patients who perceive predominantly negative changes
may contribute to prevention of prolonged symptoms of anxiety and depression.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:89198 |
| Date | 23 January 2024 |
| Creators | Vehling, Sigrun, Oechsle, Karin, Hartmann, Michael, Bokemeyer, Carsten, Mehnert-Theuerkauf, Anja |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 993 |
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