Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Scale-7 in Patients Following Completion of Lung Cancer Treatment with Curative Intent
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Purpose: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is highly prevalent among cancer survivors, highlighting the need for brief screening tools. Patients with lung cancer are particularly vulnerable to FCR because the disease carries a high risk of recurrence. The Fear of Cancer Recurrence Scale-7 (FCR-7) has been validated in several cancer populations, but its psychometric properties have been minimally evaluated in lung cancer survivors. The present study validated the FCR-7 in U.S. patients with lung cancer. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a coping skills intervention for patients with lung cancer. Participants completed the FCR-7 and measures of psychological distress, quality of life (QoL), physical symptoms, social support, and loneliness within 3 weeks of completing treatment with curative intent. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to evaluate the unidimensional structure of the FCR-7 and associations between latent FCR and psychosocial variables. Results: Among participants (N =109; M age=68.9 years, 96% non-Hispanic White; 55% female), a single-factor model with a correlated residual between two items demonstrated acceptable fit (Δχ²(1) = 26.16, p < .001; CFI = .960; RMSEA = .126) and high composite reliability (ω = .905). Greater FCR was associated with greater psychological distress, loneliness, and physical symptoms, and lower social support and QoL ( p ’s < .05). Discussion: The FCR-7 demonstrated a unidimensional structure and strong internal reliability and construct validity in U.S. patients with lung cancer, supporting the use of FCR-7 as a brief screening tool during early survivorship.
Source: Research Square
Institutions: University of Miami, Massachusetts General Hospital
Language: English
Topic: Cancer survivorship and care
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7166710631