LAUSR

BACKGROUND: Data suggest that acute leukemia survivors experience moderate to severe distress that does not significantly decline from diagnosis through survivorship. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to assess acute leukemia survivors’ level and source of self‐reported distress from active cancer treatment through six months post‐treatment. METHODS: A cross‐sectional group‐comparison design was used. Male (n = 60) and female (n = 40) survivors aged 19–84 years were accrued from a National Cancer Institute‐designated cancer center. Patients were sampled at four time points: during induction therapy, at completion, and at three and six months after the end of induction therapy. Distress was self‐reported using the Distress Thermometer and its 38‐item Problem List (PL). Analysis of variance and chi‐square determined relationships among distress scores, PL endorsements, subscale scores, and time groups. FINDINGS: Self‐reported distress was elevated for all groups. Highest distress scores were found during induction therapy.