Being a Cancer Patient during the Time of COVID-19: Impact of the Pandemic on the Anxiety and the Sleeping Quality of Oncology Patients

Objective: In this study, we aimed to assess anxiety and sleep quality in cancer patients treated or followed up at our clinic at the time of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Seven hundred and sixty-one patients who were either treated or followed up at our oncology clinic between April 2020 and May 2020 were included. Patients were assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: Mean scores of the 761 participants were STAI, 43.45 +/- 9.34 (range, 23-75), and PSQI, 5.67 +/- 4.24 (range, 0-19). Quality of sleep was found bad in 447 (58.7%) (global score >= 5). Univariate analyses demonstrated statistical differences by stage of cancer, status of treatment, subgroup of treatment, monthly income, and levels of education in anxiety and sleep quality levels. Multivariate analyses showed active treatment (OR: 21.4; 95% CI: 9.08-50.4; p < 0.001) as the major independent variable that affected sleep quality; the major independent variable associated with anxiety was low income (OR: 4.43; 95% CI: 1.69-11.5; p = 0.002). Conclusion: Anxiety and sleep quality levels were found comparable to pre-pandemic reports, and the pandemic was not observed to have additional negative impact on cancer patients. Also, universal basal anxiety and sleep disorder that accompany cancer or active treatment were observed in our study. The accurate effects of the pandemic can be analyzed in further studies using repeated data obtained from the same patient group.

Automated summary

The study found that anxiety and sleep quality levels in cancer patients treated at the clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic were comparable to pre-pandemic levels, with no additional negative impact observed. Additionally, the study observed a universal basal anxiety and sleep disorder accompanying cancer or active treatment. Further analysis of the pandemic's effects on patients can be done in future studies using repeated data from the same patient group.