Objective: To describe the characteristics of other anxiety disorders (F41) in breast cancer patients treated at the Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Center – Bach Mai Hospital.
Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 191 breast cancer patients. Anxiety disorders were definitively diagnosed based on the ICD-10 criteria.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 57,2 ± 11,82. The diagnoses of other anxiety disorders (F41) were predominantly mixed anxiety and depressive disorder (F41.2) (52.5%). The most common anxiety symptoms were difficulty sleeping due to worry (98,4%), restlessness/inability to relax (96,7%), and palpitations/rapid heartbeat (95,1%). The rate of anxiety disorders in the late-stage breast cancer group (III, IV) was 3,2 times higher compared to the early-stage group (0, I, II) (p < 0,001; OR = 3,165).
Conclusion: Anxiety disorders are quite common in breast cancer patients, with the primary clinical form being mixed anxiety and depressive disorder. This condition is closely associated with late-stage breast cancer. Therefore, appropriate screening and intervention measures are necessary to improve the quality of treatment and patients' quality of life.