Relationships Between Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Unmet Healthcare Needs, and Quality of Life Among Thai Breast Cancer Survivors Post-Treatment

<b>Purpose</b>: This study examined the relationships among fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), unmet healthcare needs, and quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer survivors post-treatment, particularly within the Thai cultural and healthcare context, where limited research has been conducted. <b>Methods</b>: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design with purposive sampling was used. A total of 122 breast cancer survivors, 1-5 years prior, were recruited from the Breast Clinic and Chemotherapy Unit at the National Cancer Institute. Instruments included a demographic questionnaire, the FCR Inventory Short Form, the Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs measure, and the EORTC QOL-C30 with the breast cancer module (QLQ-BR23). Cronbach's α ranged from 0.82 to 0.92. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank correlation, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. <b>Results:</b> Participants reported moderate levels of FCR (M = 13.39, SD = 4.50), low unmet healthcare needs (M = 25.63, SD = 14.82), and moderate overall QOL (M = 54.82, SD = 0.22). FCR was negatively correlated with overall QOL (r = -0.248, <i>p</i> <0.01) and functional QOL (r = -0.242, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Unmet healthcare needs were also negatively correlated with overall QOL (r = -0.261, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that both FCR and unmet healthcare needs had a significantly negative relationship with overall QOL (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <b>Conclusions</b>: FCR and unmet healthcare needs independently impair QOL among breast cancer survivors. Early, culturally appropriate survivorship care in Asian contexts is essential to address these needs and improve QOL.