Free of malignancy but not of fears: A closer look at Damocles syndrome in survivors of hematologic malignancies. Blood Rev 2021 Jul;48:100783
Date
12/22/2020Pubmed ID
33342584Pubmed Central ID
PMC8166938DOI
10.1016/j.blre.2020.100783Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85099517313 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 9 CitationsAbstract
Fear of cancer recurrence (FoR) is an important yet underestimated long term sequela that many cancer survivors suffer from. The continuous state of uncertainty the survivors might go through can lead to a serious impact on their quality of life (QoL), which is collectively referred to as Damocles syndrome. Given the increasing numbers of cancer survivors, it is crucial to understand the different psychological issues that face them, including Damocles syndrome. Herein, we review the current literature of Damocles syndrome specifically in hematologic cancer survivors. Although with inconsistent terms, current literature demonstrates the impact and the prevalence of Damocles syndrome on QoL of survivors of leukemia, lymphoma, and hematopoietic cell transplant. Interventional studies are very limited in this area. Moreover, hematologic malignancy survivors can also meet the diagnostic criteria of other psychiatric diseases, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, wherein they should be managed accordingly. It is important to increase the awareness about Damocles syndrome and screen patients for it and other related psychological disorders. Additionally, this review has shown the need for standardization of Damocles syndrome definitions. Finally, the lack of interventional studies that target survivors' psychosocial challenges calls for prospective research to better address this rising problem.
Author List
Alabdaljabar MS, Muhsen IN, Knight JM, Syrjala KL, Hashmi SKAuthor
Jennifer M. Knight MD, MS Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Cancer SurvivorsCombined Modality Therapy
Disease Management
Disease Progression
Fear
Hematologic Neoplasms
Humans
Public Health Surveillance
Quality of Life
Recurrence
Syndrome
Treatment Outcome