Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a main concern for most cancer survivors and can bring significant distress impacting well-being and quality of life. Although other psychological approaches have been developed for dysfunctional FCR, based on previous research, emotion-focused therapy (EFT) might also be a relevant intervention for treating this concern. A total of 17 adults with a cancer diagnosis and presenting FCR among other cancer-related concerns were offered EFT, delivered in a regular practice in a cancer hospital (mean number of sessions = 13, range: 4-25). Outcome and process instruments were used to assess general psychological distress, client-generated outcome items, and helpful and hindering aspects of therapy. Significant pre-post outcome differences were found, both for client-generated (d = 1.53) and standard (d = .88) measures, with no cases of reliable deterioration, although most patients did not show clinically significant change by the end of therapy. The most frequent helpful insession processes were client verbal expression of experience and work on parts of self; the most common immediate session impacts were positive feelings and self-realizations. EFT may be a useful alternative treatment for FCR.
Clinical Impact StatementQuestion: Is emotion-focused therapy (EFT) a potentially effective treatment for fear of cancer recurrence (FCR)? Findings: EFT was found to be an effective intervention for helping a Portuguese sample of people seen in routine practice to deal with their cancer-related distress, including FCR. Meaning: Based on this exploratory study, EFT might be a useful alternative treatment for FCR. Next Steps: Replication studies and randomized controlled trials will be necessary to confirm and expand these results.