Comprehending and adapting to fear of cancer recurrence in geriatric gastric cancer: A call for prehabilitation pathway

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a psychological worry among cancer survivors, particularly among the elderly who are at risk of developing physiological and psychological vulnerabilities. In a cross-sectional survey of 264 elderly gastric cancer (GC) patients by Zhu <i>et al</i>, a high rate (63.64%) of clinically significant FCR was observed following laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. Factors affecting the high rate of FCR were a high level of self-perceived burden, lower education level, large tumour diameter, short duration of disease, and postoperative complications. They also established a validated nomogram model to predict the risk of FCR in this patient population. In this letter, we want to emphasize that, in addition to integrating psychological screening and focused interventions into the routine postoperative care of elderly GC patients, prehabilitation interventions before surgery, including psychological support, may provide a proactive response to mitigate FCR and improve long-term outcomes.