ArticleJournal of pain and symptom management2021
Associations of Uncertainty With Psychological Health and Quality of Life in Older Adults With Advanced Cancer.
Article in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review on the qualitative experiences of people living with lung cancer in rural areas.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Pooled it
- Informational support for depression and quality of life improvements in older patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Pooled it
- The Relationship Between Illness Uncertainty and Social Support Among Cancer Patients: A Meta-analysis.Cancer nursingPooled it
- Quality of life and appraisal factors of patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Trial
- Mobile App for Gynecologic Cancer Support for Patients With Gynecologic Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy in China: Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Trial
- The shared uncertainty experience of older adults with advanced cancer and their caregivers.Psycho-oncology · 2022Trial
- Latent profiles and influencing factors of sense of coherence in patients with advanced cancer: A cross-sectional study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Article
- Article
- Dyadic Coping and Illness Uncertainty in Cancer Patient-Caregiver Dyads: Interactive Mechanisms, Heterogeneity, and Integrated Intervention Directions-A Narrative Review (2021-2025).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Medical Coping as a Mediator Between Social Support and Illness Uncertainty in Cancer Patients Across Age Groups: A Mediation Analysis.Patient preference and adherence · 2026Article
- Adaptation and Implementation of Self-System Therapy for Older Adults with Advanced Lung Cancer: Pilot Trial Results.Cancers · 2025Article
- Financial toxicity and quality of life among older adults with cancer: a moderated mediation model of loneliness and social support.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Factors influencing the hope of patients with advanced cancer while receiving cancer pharmacotherapy.Japan journal of nursing science : JJNS · 2025Article
- Structural equation modeling of hope, psychological distress, quality of life, and influencing factors in advanced cancer patients undergoing cancer pharmacotherapy in Japan.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- "Aiming at a moving target"-The daily life experiences of adolescents and young adults with a low-grade glioma.Neuro-oncology practice · 2025Article
- The perception of individuals with low back pain regarding reassuring information: Insights based on physiotherapists messages.PloS one · 2025Article
- Article
- Barriers to participation in clinical trials of rural older adult cancer survivors: A qualitative study.The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association · 2025Article
- Uncertainty and Communication Preferences Among Patients Undergoing Lung Transplant Evaluation: A Mixed-Methods Study.Clinical transplantation · 2024Article
- Mediating and Moderating Effects of Uncertainty on the Relationship between Family Function, Self-Care, and Depression among Blood Cancer Survivors.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 9 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
contextOlder adults with advanced cancer face uncertainty related to their disease and treatment.
objectivesTo evaluate the associations of uncertainty with psychological health and quality of life (QoL) in older adults with advanced cancer.
methodsSecondary cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a national clustered geriatric assessment trial. Patients 70 years and older with advanced cancer considering a new line of chemotherapy were recruited. We measured uncertainty using the modified nine-item Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale. Dependent variables included anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), depression (Generalized Depression Scale-15), distress (distress thermometer), QoL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General), and emotional well-being (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General subscale). We used multivariate linear regression analyses to evaluate the association of uncertainty with each dependent variable. We conducted a partial least squares analysis with a variable importance in projection (VIP) plot to assess the contribution of individual variables to the model. Variables with a VIP <0.8 were considered less influential.
resultsWe included 527 patients (median age 76 years; range 70-96). In multivariate analyses, higher levels of uncertainty were significantly associated with greater anxiety (β = 0.11; SE = 0.04), depression (β = 0.09; SE = 0.02), distress (β = 0.12; SE = 0.02), as well as lower QoL (β = -1.08; SE = 0.11) and emotional well-being (β = -0.29; SE = 0.03); the effect sizes were considered small. Uncertainty items related to disease and treatment were most strongly associated with psychological health and QoL scores (all VIP >0.8).
conclusionUncertainty among older patients with advanced cancer is associated with worse psychological health and QoL. Tailored uncertainty management strategies are warranted.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.