Our recent study estimated that respectively, 26% and 11.2% of local cancer survivors were in subclinical and clinically-significant FCR group ranges. Understanding what might distinguish clinical from subclinical and nonclinical levels of FCR would greatly benefit early identification and perhaps therapeutic intervention for preventing progression of FCR to a clinical level, as it can inform who to target and what kind of intervention or information to provide.
Qualitative differences in coping with FCR among cancer survivors may explain why FCR, initially a normal response, was elevated and maintained throughout the cancer trajectory for subset of affected survivors. The use of maladaptive coping such as avoidance, reassurance seeking and frequent body checking has been recently proposed as a possible characteristic of clinical FCR. Despite a recent spike in FCR research, our understanding of the relationship between FCR and coping remains limited.
To address the literature gaps, this study using qualitative approach aims to (i) identify coping strategies used to manage FCR among Chinese cancer survivors; (ii) compare coping strategies used to manage FCR among Chinese cancer survivors with nonclinical, subclinical, and clinically-significant FCR; and (iii) explore factors influencing the coping process of FCR among Chinese cancer survivors with nonclinical, subclinical, and clinically-significant FCR.
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