[Psychosocial burden and subjective experience of melanoma patients in the ambulant follow-up].

INTRODUCTION: The ambulant follow-up is established for early detection of metastases thus improving the survival probability of tumor patients. In spite of the safety aimed at, follow-up also puts a burden on tumor patients and has effects on their quality of life. AIM: To investigate within the scope of follow-up, to collect data on the psychosocial burden on melanoma patients in relation to the predictors (medical factors, psychological variables, sociodemographic data) in order to define a "burden-risk patient".
METHOD: From June to December 1997, 615 ambulant melanoma patients were questioned with the aid of the Hornheide questionnaire and the German version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D).
RESULTS: The leading predictors for a psychosocial burden were found to be fear and depression, as well as tumor thickness, metastases, year of operation, sex, age, and marital status/household. With the aid of these results, a burden-risk patient could be defined: female sex, age between 40 and 59 years, divorced or widowed, separately living, with a tumor thickness of more than 4 mm, first diagnosis less than 3 years ago and prevailing metastases. This risk patient had also a high probability of having significant fear and depression values.
CONCLUSION: The use of the Hornheide questionnaire for identifying the psychosocial burden is suitable to collect the individual burdens of the patients in particular and within a short period. In the same way, the needs of the patients can be met in particular, and thus his/her quality of life can be increased.