Impact of Therapeutic Interventions on Fear of Progression in Patients with Endometriosis

Background/Objectives: Endometriosis is a chronic disease associated with pain, infertility and increased risk of mental disorders (anxiety, depression). One of these manifestations is the fear of progression, recently documented in patients with endometriosis that can affect the quality of life. Our study aims to evaluate the relationship between the fear of progression and the type of treatment in endometriosis. Methods: We conducted a prospective survey of 298 patients with endometriosis, divided into four treatment groups (hormonal therapy without or with surgical indication, surgical intervention, phytotherapy). Fear of progression (FoP) was evaluated through the Fear of Progression Questionnaire – Short Form (FoP-Q-SF); scores were compared between groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post-hoc analysis and adjusted for age (ANCOVA). Results: FoP was generally high. Significant differences between groups were observed (p = .021), with the highest FoP-Q-SF scores in patients undergoing exclusive hormonal treatment, higher than surgical groups (p < 0.01). Younger age correlated with increased fear (p < .01). Conclusions: Treatment type influences anxiety regarding disease progression. Exclusive hormonal therapy was associated with the greatest fear of progression, while surgical intervention seemed to reduce this anxiety. A multidisciplinary approach, including psychological support, is essential to alleviate patient fears and improve their quality of life.