Anxiety in cancer patients during 18F-FDG PET/CT low dose: a comparison of anxiety levels before and after imaging studies

• Autor(a) principal: Grilo, Ana Monteiro
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Outros Autores: Vieira, Lina, Carolino, Elisabete, Oliveira, Cátia, Pacheco, Carolina, Castro, Maria, Alonso, Juan
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/7325
• topic: Oncology; Cancer patient; Nuclear medicine; 18F-FDG PET/CT; Anxiety

Objective - Assessing the level of anxiety in oncology patients who underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan and identifying the main reasons that generate anxiety. Material and Method - The study included 81 cancer patients submitted to the (18)F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan. Patients filled in the Scan Experience Questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before and after (18)F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan. Results - Substantial levels of anxiety were detected both before and after (18)F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan (STAI mean > 30), with a significant increase in the state of anxiety after scan performance (p < 0.0001, Medianpre = 31.1, and Medianpos = 33.0). (18)F-FDG PET/CT low dose results are the main cause of anxiety both before (79.1%) and after (86.9%) the scan. The information provided by staff both before and on the (18)F-FDG PET/CT low dose day was classified mostly as completely understandable (70.5% and 75.3%, resp.) and as very useful (70.5% and 72.6%, resp.) and correlated positively with patients' overall satisfaction with NM Department (rS = 0.372, p = 0.004 and rS = 0.528, p = 0.000, resp.), but not with anxiety levels. Conclusions - Patients perceive high levels of anxiety during the (18)F-FDG PET/CT low dose scan and the concern with scan results was pointed out as the main factor for that emotional reaction.