Self-reported causes of cancer among 6881 survivors with 6 tumour types: results from the PROFILES registry

Carla Vlooswijk; Olga Husson; Simone Oerlemans; Nicole Ezendam; Dounya Schoormans; Belle de Rooij; Floortje Mols

doi:10.1007/s11764-021-00989-w

Self-reported causes of cancer among 6881 survivors with 6 tumour types: results from the PROFILES registry

J Cancer Surviv. 2023 Feb;17(1):110-119. doi: 10.1007/s11764-021-00989-w. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Authors

Carla Vlooswijk¹, Olga Husson², Simone Oerlemans¹, Nicole Ezendam^{1

3}, Dounya Schoormans³, Belle de Rooij^{1

3}, Floortje Mols^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
² Department of Medical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
³ CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic Disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
⁴ Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, Utrecht, The Netherlands. F.Mols@tilburguniversity.edu.
⁵ CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic Disorders, Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands. F.Mols@tilburguniversity.edu.

Abstract

Objective: Our aim was to describe and compare self-reported causal attributions (interpretations of what caused an illness) among cancer survivors and to assess which sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are associated with them.

Methods: Data from five population-based PROFILES registry samples (i.e. lymphoma (n = 993), multiple myeloma (n = 156), colorectal (n = 3989), thyroid (n = 306), endometrial (n = 741), prostate cancer (n = 696)) were used. Causal attributions were assessed with a single question.

Results: The five most often reported causal attributions combined were unknown (21%), lifestyle (19%), biological (16%), other (14%), and stress (12%). Lymphoma (49%), multiple myeloma (64%), thyroid (55%), and prostate (64%) cancer patients mentioned fixed causes far more often than modifiable or modifiable/fixed. Colorectal (33%, 34%, and 33%) and endometrial (38%, 32%, and 30%) cancer survivors mentioned causes that were fixed, modifiable, or both almost equally often. Colorectal, endometrial, and prostate cancer survivors reported internal causes most often, whereas multiple myeloma survivors more often reported external causes, while lymphoma and thyroid cancer survivors had almost similar rates of internal and external causes. Females, those older, those treated with hormonal therapy, and those diagnosed with prostate cancer were less likely to identify modifiable causes while those diagnosed with stage 2, singles, with ≥2 comorbid conditions, and those with endometrial cancer were more likely to identify modifiable causes.

Conclusion: In conclusion, this study showed that patients report both internal and external causes of their illness and both fixed and modifiable causes. This differsbetween the various cancer types.

Implications for cancer survivors: Although the exact cause of cancer in individual patients is often unknown, having a well-informed perception of the modifiable causes of one's cancer is valuable since it can possibly help survivors with making behavioural adjustments in cases where this is necessary or possible.

Keywords: Cancer survivors; Causal attributions; Causes of cancer; Illness perception; PROFILES.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cancer Survivors*
Colorectal Neoplasms*
Female
Humans
Lymphoma*
Male
Multiple Myeloma* / epidemiology
Prostatic Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Registries
Self Report
Survivors