ABSTRACT
Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological impact of the SARS-CoV-2 and the effects on functional adaptation to the context of life and care in Italian cancer patients. Methods: We adopted a cross-sectional survey design to assess the psychosocial impact in cancer patients during the COVID-19 outbreack. To assess the behavior of patients in this stressful situation, we developed the 31-item self-assessment questionnaire “ImpACT”. Results: 445 patients from 17 Italian regions participated in the study (79.8% women, average age 58 y). 85.9% received satisfactory responses from oncologists, 81.0% from nurses, 72.1% from psychologists, 66.3% from GPs and 58.3% in Emergency rooms;59.8% reported feeling very safe in their oncology unit. 87.7% of pts reported perceiving changes in their lives compared to before the pandemic;89.9% reported feeling worried, 97.1% said they pay attention to possible signs of physical discomfort attributable to the coronavirus, 97.6% say they strictly follow the rules provided by the government and doctors. Patients who reported being anxious were more likely to be afraid medical staff may get sick (OR = 3.01;95% CI = 1.49-6.30), or not to sleep because of worries (OR = 2.42;95% CI = 1.23-4.83), to use medicines to manage anxiety (OR = 4.04;95% CI = 1.43-13.34) or to think that faith might help them (OR = 3.47;95% CI = 1.62-7.69). Who reported being angry were more likely to feel lonely (OR = 3.58;95% CI = 1.98-6.63), but less likely to report not thinking about the coronavirus (OR = 0.34;95% CI = 0.13-0.82). The patients who reported to be calm, showed less fear for the future (OR = 0.20;95% CI = 0.09-0.43), less insomnia due to worries (OR = 0.46;95%) CI = 0.25- 0.83), less risk of suicidal thoughts (OR = 0.10;95% CI = 0.00-0.63) and were less likely to think that faith would help them (OR = 0.47;95% CI = 0.24-0.91). Men were more likely to reported being calm than women (OR = 2.60;95% CI = 1.27-5.43). Conclusions: The results suggest that the majority of cancer patients have faced the situation related to the SARSCoV- 2 pandemic, with concern of being infected, and the consequences on their health and on the anticancer treatments. How healthcare professionals respond to patients' needs can facilitate understanding of information and emotionally support patients.