Fear of cancer recurrence is related to the efficacy of immunotherapy and quality of life in patients with NSCLC during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), making the fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) more pronounced. We explored the effects of FCR on immunotherapy efficacy and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in China among the 124 NSCLC patients enrolled in this study. Quality of life and immunotherapy efficacy were compared between high- and low-FCR groups after completing 4-6 courses of treatment or cancer progression. Worse immunotherapy efficacy and quality of life were reported for the high-FCR group than for the low-FCR group. These findings emphasize the need to pay close attention to the level of FCR in NSCLC patients. Efforts should be taken to alleviate FCR levels among NSCLC patients. Moreover, research is needed to investigate the possible link between immunotherapy efficacy and FCR.