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Background: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) females are vulnerable to psychological sequelae following cancer diagnosis and treatment. Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is well‐documented in cancer survivors, however AYA survivors of breast and gynaecological cancers are less well‐studied. Moreover, little is known about scan‐related fears and anxiety ('scanxiety') in survivors of any age group. Aims: This study aimed to assess demographic, medical, and quality‐of‐life correlates of FCR and scanxiety in AYA female breast and gynaecological cancer survivors post‐treatment. Additionally, we explored potential shared mechanisms of FCR and scanxiety, including intolerance of uncertainty, bodily threat monitoring, and perceived stress. Methods: AYA breast and gynaecological cancer survivors (N = 115) completed measures of FCR, scanxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, bodily threat monitoring, perceived stress, and quality of life. Bivariate associations and a structural equation model explored relationships between these variables. Results: Both FCR and scanxiety were prevalent, with 84% reporting clinically meaningful FCR and 38% reporting severe FCR. Higher FCR and scanxiety were both associated with poorer quality of life. FCR and scanxiety were moderately associated but not entirely overlapping. Intolerance of uncertainty, bodily threat monitoring, and perceived stress were significantly correlated with both FCR and scanxiety. The structural equation model indicated that bodily threat monitoring is a plausible intermediate variable linking intolerance of uncertainty and FCR, but not scanxiety. Conclusions: FCR and scanxiety are common in AYA survivors of breast and gynaecological cancers, with potentially distinct underlying mechanisms. Interventions targeting intolerance of uncertainty and bodily threat monitoring may reduce FCR, while further research is needed to identify therapeutic targets for scanxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bodily threat monitoring is a core clinical feature of Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and is targeted in psycho‐oncology treatments, yet no comprehensive self‐report measure exists. The aim of this study was the theory‐informed development and initial validation of the Bodily Threat Monitoring Scale (BTMS). Methods: Adult survivors of breast and gynaecological cancers (Study 1: N = 306, age = 37–81 years) and childhood cancer survivors (Study 2: N = 126, age = 10–25 years) completed the BTMS, designed to assess how individuals monitor for and interpret uncertain symptoms as indicating that something is wrong with their body. Participants completed measures to assess construct and criterion validity of the BTMS, and childhood cancer survivors (Study 2) completed the BTMS again 2 weeks later to assess test‐retest reliability. Results: The 19‐item BTMS demonstrated excellent internal consistency across adult and childhood cancer samples (α = 0.90–0.96). Factor analyses indicated two subscales capturing 1. Monitoring of bodily sensations and 2. Threatening interpretations of bodily sensations. Two‐week stability estimates were acceptable. For construct validity, the BTMS correlated with body vigilance and anxiety sensitivity. The BTMS also demonstrated criterion validity, yielding significant associations with FCR, intolerance of uncertainty, help‐seeking behaviours, and quality of life. The BTMS was associated with FCR while controlling for body vigilance and anxiety sensitivity, indicating a unique contribution of this theory‐informed measure. Conclusions: The BTMS shows evidence of sound psychometric properties and could be used to elucidate the role of bodily threat monitoring in the maintenance and management of FCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]