Identifying Surgery and Anesthesia - Related Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Colorectal Cancer Surgery

Objective: In patients where colorectal cancer surgery is planned, anxiety is triggered not only by cancer diagnosis, but also potentially by the surgery and anesthesia preoperatively. We aimed to determine preoperative anxiety level, identify its reasons, and investigate patients' needs about psychological support. Methods: Upon approval by ethics committee, this cross-sectional survey study is performed with patients who would undergo colorectal cancer surgery in colorectal surgery department of a tertiary care hospital. Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS), and The State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and anxiety scores of patients were assessed by a questionnaire. Results: A total of 110 patients were interviewed. APAIS, S-STAI, and T-STAI were significantly higher in <60-year-old patients (p<0.001). Female patients had statistically higher APAIS (p=0.032), S-STAI (p<0.001), and T-STAI (p=0.002) scores compared with male patients. Regression model showed significantly independent associations of anxiety scores to age, gender, education status, and marital status subgroups. Conclusion: Among patients, where colorectal cancer surgery was planned, anxiety level was elevated in those below 60 years old, with higher level of education, and female gender. Developing new protocols to reduce stress in these groups may improve perioperative outcomes.