Clinical biopsychosocial risk factors for depression in lung cancer patients: a comprehensive analysis using data from the Lung Cancer Database Project

The effects of different surgical approaches on the psychological status, medical coping mode and quality of life of patients with lung cancer

Objective

This study aimed to compare the effects of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and thoracotomy on the psychological status, medical coping mode, and quality of life of patients with lung cancer.

Methods

A total of 158 patients with lung cancer were selected from the thoracic surgery center of a third-grade hospital in Hunan Province, China, from September to November 2020. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), and Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to assess the effects of the surgical approaches on the study parameters before and 48–96 h after surgery. The t-test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.

Results

The results revealed that the patients’ depression increased, their short-term quality of life decreased, and they tended to adopt a positive coping mode after surgery (p < 0.05). The RATS and VATS groups differed in avoidance dimension of medical coping modes (p < 0.05). The VATS and thoracotomy groups differed in the body pain dimension of quality of life (p < 0.05). Different surgical approaches had no effect on the psychological status, medical coping modes except the avoidance dimension, and quality of life except the body pain dimension.

Conclusion

Surgical approaches have little effect on the psychological status, medical coping modes, and quality of life of patients with lung cancer; however, their depression increased and quality of life decreased after the surgery.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and poses a physical and psychological threat to patients. Mindfulness-based interventions are emerging forms of psychotherapy that are effective in improving physical and psychological symptoms, but no review has summarized their effectiveness on anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with lung cancer.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China Biology Medicine disc, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Science and Technology Journal databases from inception to 13 April 2022. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials of people with lung cancer receiving mindfulness-based interventions reporting on the outcomes of anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Two researchers independently reviewed the abstracts and full texts, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias independently by using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias assessment tool'. The meta-analysis was performed by using Review Manager 5.4, and the effect size was calculated by the standardized mean difference and its 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

The systematic review included 25 studies (2420 participants), whereas the meta-analysis included 18 studies (1731 participants). Mindfulness-based interventions significantly decreased levels of anxiety [standardized mean difference = -1.15, 95% confidence interval (-1.36, -0.94), Z = 10.75, P < 0.001], depression [standardized mean difference = -1.04, 95% confidence interval (-1.60, -0.48), Z = 3.66, P < 0.001], and fatigue [standardized mean difference = -1.29, 95% confidence interval (-1.66, -0.91), Z = 6.79, P < 0.001]. The subgroup analysis indicated that programs lasting less than eight weeks in length with structured intervention components (e.g., mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) and 45 min of daily home practice implemented in patients with advanced stage lung cancer showed better effects than programs lasting more than eight weeks in length with less structured components and more than 45 min of daily home practice implemented in patients with mixed stage lung cancer. The overall quality of the evidence was low due to the lack of allocation concealment and blinding and the high risk of bias in most studies (80%).

CONCLUSIONS

Mindfulness-based interventions might be effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with lung cancer. However, we cannot draw definitive conclusions because the overall quality of the evidence was low. More rigorous studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and examine which intervention components may be most effective for improved outcomes.

Association between psychological distress of each points of the treatment of esophageal cancer and stress coping strategy

Background

Patients with esophageal cancer often feel depressed and are fearful of metastasis and death. Esophagectomy is an invasive procedure with a high incidence of complications. The objective of this study was to examine the association between psychological distress on each points of the treatment of esophageal cancer and stress coping strategy.

Methods

In total, 102 of 152 consecutive patients who attended the outpatient clinic at Toranomon Hospital between April 2017 and April 2019 met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this study. Questionnaires designed to identify psychological distress and stress coping strategies were longitudinally administered at 5 time points from the time of the first outpatient consultation to 3 months after esophagectomy.

Results

Although ‘fighting spirit’ (OR 0.836, 95% CI 0.762–0.918; p < 0.001) and ‘anxious preoccupation’ (OR 1.482, 95% CI 1.256–1.748; p < 0.001) were strongly related to psychological distress before treatment, as time of treatment passes, ‘helpless/hopeless’ (OR 1.337, 95% CI 1.099–1.626; p = 0.004) was strongly related to psychological distress after esophagectomy. There were no relationships between psychological distress and individual patient characteristics, with the exception of ‘history of surgery’ and ‘final staging’. The concordance index was 0.864 at time 1, 0.826 at time 2, 0.839 at time 3, 0.830 at time 4, and 0.840 at time 5.

Conclusions

The relationship between psychological distress and the Coping strategies was stronger on each points of the treatment of esophageal cancer than that between psychological distress and individual patient characteristics. This study uses prospective basic clinical data and may provide the baseline information for risk stratification for psychological management and for future clinical studies in these patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-022-00914-5.

Developing a visual model for predicting depression in patients with lung cancer

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate and analyse the prevalence of depression among patients with lung cancer, identify risk factors of depression, and develop a visual, non-invasive, and straightforward clinical prediction model that can be used to predict the risk probability of depression in patients with lung cancer quantitatively.

BACKGROUND

Depression is one of the common concomitant symptoms of patients with lung cancer, which can increase the risk of suicide. However, the current assessment tools cannot combine multiple risk factors to predict the risk probability of depression in patients.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

The clinical data from 297 patients with lung cancer in China were collected and analysed in this cross-sectional study. The clinical prediction model was constructed according to the results of the Chi-square test and the logistic regression analysis, evaluated by discrimination, calibration, and decision curve analysis, and visualised by a nomogram. This study was reported using the TRIPOD checklist.

RESULTS

130 patients with lung cancer had depressive symptoms with a prevalence of 43.77%. A visual prediction model was constructed based on age, disease duration, exercise, stigma, and resilience. This model showed good discrimination at an AUC of 0.842. Calibration curve analysis indicated a good agreement between experimental and predicted values, and the decision curve analysis showed a high clinical utility.

CONCLUSIONS

The visual prediction model developed in this study has excellent performance, which can accurately predict the occurrence of depression in patients with lung cancer at an early stage and assist the medical staff in taking targeted preventative measures.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The visual, non-invasive, and simple nomogram can help clinical medical staff to calculate the risk probability of depression among patients with lung cancer, formulate personalised preventive care measures for high-risk groups as soon as possible, and improve the quality of life of patients.

Acceptance and commitment therapy versus mindfulness-based stress reduction for newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial assessing efficacy for positive psychology, depression, anxiety, and quality of life

Background and aim

Head and neck cancer patients are vulnerable to various psychological complications due to the effects of both cancer itself and cancer treatment on patients’ appearance and physical well-being. Nevertheless, few data have been obtained on effective psychosocial interventions that could protect this group of cancer patients’ psychological well-being. Therefore, this three-armed, parallel-group, double-blind, randomized control trial (RCT) aims to evaluate and compare the effects of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on positive psychology (such as posttraumatic growth [PTG], hope, and optimism), quality of life (QoL), and psychological complications (depression, anxiety, and experiential avoidance) among newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients.

Methods and analysis

This RCT will target newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients who have been treated only with surgery or who have not yet received any treatment. In total, 120 patients who meet all of the study’s inclusion criteria and none of its exclusion criteria will be randomly assigned into three groups—an ACT group, an MBSR group, and a treatment-as-usual control group—at a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. Participants in the two intervention groups (the ACT and MBSR groups) will undergo an eight-week group intervention program. During this program, each intervention will comprise eight modules based on ACT and MBSR, respectively. Outcome assessments will be performed across a three-point timeline, including before the intervention (t₀), immediately after the psychosocial intervention at eight weeks (t₁), and six months after the intervention (t₂). The primary outcome that will be assessed during this RCT is PTG. Meanwhile, the secondary outcomes that will be evaluated in this study are such as QoL, hope, optimism, depression, anxiety, and experiential avoidance.

Trial registration number

NCT04800419 (ClinicalTrials.gov). Registered on March 16, 2021.

Role of routine check-up in the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer: A puzzling phenomenon

BACKGROUND

The high coverage of annual routine health check-up in China is a unique phenomenon throughout the world. However, its clinical value is controversial. In this cohort study, we chose pancreatic cancer as a disease model to explore the role of routine check-up in the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

Data from 157 patients who were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between January 2010 and April 2014 were collected. Patients were divided into two groups depending on how their disease was detected. Group A (n = 85): Patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in clinic visits. Group B (n = 72): Patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in routine check-ups. We compared their prognosis.

RESULTS

The tumor stage in group B was earlier than that in group A. The 1-year survival rate in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (74.6% vs. 42.4%, P < 0.001), while the 3- and 5-year survival rates of the two groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). The difference of overall survival time between the two groups was not significant (22.0 vs. 9.0 months, P = 0.078).

CONCLUSIONS

The stage of pancreatic cancer diagnosed in routine check-ups was earlier and therefore, the intervention was earlier which improved short-term survival rate. However, early intervention did not improve overall survival in the long-term.

The association of depressive symptoms, personality traits, and sociodemographic factors with health-related quality of life and quality of life in patients with advanced-stage lung cancer: an observational multi-center cohort study

Background

Identification of patient-related factors associated with Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and Quality of Life (QoL) at the start of treatment may identify patients who are prone to a decrease in HRQoL and/or QoL resulting from chemotherapy. Identification of these factors may offer opportunities to enhance patient care during treatment by adapting communication strategies and directing medical and psychological interventions. The aim was to examine the association of sociodemographic factors, personality traits, and depressive symptoms with HRQoL and QoL in patients with advanced-stage lung cancer at the start of chemotherapy.

Methods

Patients (n = 151) completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (trait anxiety subscale), the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Simple linear regression analyses were performed to select HRQoL and QoL associated factors (a P ≤ 0.10 was used to prevent non-identification of important factors) followed by multiple linear regression analyses (P ≤ 0.05).

Results

In the multiple regression analyses, CES-D score (β = − 0.63 to − 0.53; P-values < 0.001) was most often associated with the WHOQOL-BREF domains and general facet, whereas CES-D score (β = − 0.67 to − 0.40; P-values < 0.001) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (β = − 0.30 to − 0.30; P-values < 0.001) were most often associated with the scales of the EORTC QLQ-C30. Personality traits were not related with HRQoL or QoL except for trait anxiety (Role functioning: β = 0.30; P = 0.02, Environment: β = − 0.39; P = 0.007) and conscientiousness (Physical health: β = 0.20; P-value < 0.04).

Conclusions

Higher scores on depressive symptoms and ECOG performance status were related to lower HRQoL and QoL in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Supportive care interventions aimed at improvement of depressive symptoms and performance score may facilitate an increase of HRQoL and/or QoL during treatment.

Association of personality profiles with coping and adjustment to cancer among patients undergoing chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE

Specific personality traits are associated with differential use of various coping strategies. Few studies have examined the relationship between personality and coping in oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy. We, therefore, examined the relationship between previously identified personality profiles (ie, Distressed [14.3% of total sample], Normative [53.8%], Resilient [31.9%]) and measures of coping and adjustment.

METHODS

Patients (n = 1248) undergoing chemotherapy for breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer completed measures of personality (NEO-Five Factor Inventory), coping (Brief COPE), and psychological adjustment to cancer (Mental Adjustment to Cancer [MAC] scale). Differences in coping and adjustment among the three personality profiles were evaluated using analysis of variance.

RESULTS

On the Brief COPE, the Distressed class endorsed lower use of Active Coping, Positive Reframing, Acceptance, Emotional Support (ie, "engagement" coping); and greater use of Denial, Venting, Behavioral Disengagement, Self-Blame (ie, "disengagement" coping) compared to the Normative and Resilient classes. On the MAC scale, the Distressed class scored higher on Anxious Preoccupation, Helplessness/Hopelessness, Fatalism, and Avoidance, and lower on Fighting Spirit, compared to the other two classes.

CONCLUSIONS

In this sample of oncology patients receiving chemotherapy, patients in the Distressed personality class showed a reduced repertoire of adaptive coping strategies, while those in the Resilient class reported greater use of adaptive or engagement coping strategies. Further work should examine the potential mediating or moderating role of coping and adjustment in the relationships between personality and patient outcomes. Interventions to enhance beneficial and reduce harmful coping strategies in cancer patients should be evaluated.

Prevalence and correlation of anxiety and depression on the prognosis of postoperative non-small-cell lung cancer patients in North China

Identify the prevalence of postoperative anxiety and depression as well as their correlations with clinical features and survival profiles in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent resection.Four hundred NSCLC patients who underwent resection were recruited, and their anxiety and depression were assessed by hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) at discharge after surgery. Besides, 480 healthy controls (HCs) were also enrolled and assessed by HADS.The HADS-Anxiety score of NSCLC patients (7.8 ± 3.9) was greatly higher than that of HCs (4.8 ± 2.7), and the anxiety prevalence of NSCLC patients (49.6%) were dramatically increased compared with HCs (13.8%). Furthermore, the HADS-Depression score (7.2 ± 3.6) of NSCLC patients was considerably increased compared with HCs (4.2 ± 2.6), and the depression prevalence of NSCLC patients (38.3%) was significantly raised compared with HCs (10.0%). Besides, anxiety correlated with gender, marital status, hypertension, diabetes, pathological differentiation, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and carcinoembryonic antigen level, meanwhile, depression correlated with marital status, employment status before surgery, diabetes, pathological differentiation, and TNM stage in NSCLC patients. Additionally, the anxiety and depression predicted shorter disease-free survival in NSCLC patients. And the anxiety predicted worse overall survival (OS), while no association of depression with OS was observed in NSCLC patients.Post-operative anxiety and depression are highly prevalent and implicated in the ongoing care and prognosis prediction in NSCLC patients who underwent resection.

Gaps in the Management of Depression Symptoms Following Cancer Diagnosis: A Population-Based Analysis of Prospective Patient-Reported Outcomes

BACKGROUND

One of the most common psychological morbidities of cancer is depression. Routine depression symptoms screening (DSS) is recommended, but its ability to lead to psychosocial interventions in clinical practice is limited. We examined the use of and factors associated with psychosocial interventions for positive DSS following cancer diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a population-based cohort study of patients with diagnoses from 2010 to 2017 who reported ≥1 patient-reported Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) score. Positive DSS was defined as ESAS ≥2 out of 10 for the depression item within 6 months of diagnosis. Outcomes were psychosocial interventions around the time of positive DSS: palliative care assessment, psychiatry/psychology assessment, social work referral, and antidepressant therapy (in patients ≥65 years of age with universal drug coverage). We examined reduction in depression symptom score (≥1 point) following intervention. Modified Poisson regression examined factors associated with interventions.

RESULTS

Of 142,270 patients, 65,424 (46.0%) reported positive DSS at a median of 66 days (interquartile range: 34-105) after diagnosis. Of those with depression symptoms, 17.1% received palliative assessment, 1.7% psychiatry/psychology assessment, 8.4% social work referral, and 4.3% antidepressant therapy. Depression symptom score decreased in 67.2% who received palliative assessment, 63.7% with psychiatry/psychology assessment, 67.3% with social work referral, and 71.4% with antidepressant therapy. On multivariable analysis, patients with older age, rural residence, lowest income quintile, and genitourinary or oropharyngeal cancer were more likely to not receive intervention other than palliative care.

CONCLUSION

The proportion of patients reporting positive DSS after cancer diagnosis receiving psychosocial intervention is low. We identified patients vulnerable to not receiving interventions, who may benefit from additional support. These data represent a call to action to modify practice and optimize the usefulness of systematic symptom screening.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Patient-reported depression symptoms screening should be followed by targeted interventions to improve symptoms and patient-centered management.

The Quality of Life of Patients with Suspected Lung Cancer before and after Bronchoscopy and the Effect of Mirtazapine on the Depressive Status

Objective Patients with suspected lung cancer often experience adverse side effects such as anxiety, depression, and a decreased appetite. These side effects influence the patients' quality of life and their ability to make decisions concerning appropriate treatment. This study examined the psychological status and quality of life of patients with suspected lung cancer before and after bronchoscopy treatment and evaluated the effect of mirtazapine prescribed to patients with depression. Methods To assess patient characteristics (e.g. age, gender, and medical history), a questionnaire including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Japanese version and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-L was administered. Patients Forty-three patients admitted for bronchoscopy treatment between May 2017 and April 2018 were included. Results The results showed that patients with depression reported a worse quality of life than those without depression. Compared with no medication, the administration of mirtazapine alleviated depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the patients' depressive status was affected by their physical symptoms, including coughing, tightness of chest, and dyspnea. Conclusion Our results emphasize the importance of detecting depression in the early stages of a cancer diagnosis and have significant implications concerning pharmacological intervention in patients with cancer displaying signs of depression.

Prevalence and risk factors of depression in patients with lung cancer: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Patients with lung cancer often experience heavy psychological distress, especially depression, which results in poorer quality of life, shorter survival time and greater mortality. Our aim is to summarise data on the prevalence and risk factors of depression in patients with lung cancer.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will search PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang and Chinese Biomedicine Literature Database (SinoMed) for studies on the prevalence and risk factors of depression in patients with lung cancer, which should be published from 1 January 1975 to 25 November 2018 in English/Chinese. Two reviewers will independently screen studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias. We will use RevMan V.5.0 and STATA V.12.0 software for statistical analysis. The I² test will be used to identify the extent of heterogeneity. Publication bias will be assessed by generating a funnel plot and performing the Begg and Egger test. The quality of the systematic review will be evaluated using the AMSTAR ('A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews') criteria and 'The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation'.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Since this is a review involving analysis of publicly available data, ethical approval is not required. The final results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42018118167.

Prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and depression in Chinese patients with lung cancer：a cross-sectional study

Background: Lung cancer is very common in China. The low cure rate, limited overall survival, and continuous therapies lead the patients to experience considerable psychological distress. Traditional Chinese medicine therapy is one unique treatment method in China. Nevertheless, most patients in the existing studies on anxiety and depression were treated in western medical hospitals. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the prevalence and risk factors of these emotional disorders in lung cancer patients treated in traditional Chinese medical hospitals. These findings may assist in clinical intervention.

Patients and methods: A total of 315 patients with lung cancer were enrolled. Individuals completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess their levels of anxiety and depression. Demographic and clinical data were also collected. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that significantly predicted anxiety and depression.

Results: The anxiety and depression prevalence rates of lung cancer patients were 43.5% and 57.1%, respectively. In the univariate analysis, patients without surgery, who were young, or who received radiotherapy were more likely to experience anxiety. Patients without surgery, who were young, or who had late-stage cancer, were more likely to experience depression. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors of both anxiety and depression were lack of surgery and young and middle age (＜65, especially 45–65 years).

Conclusion: Anxiety and depression were very common in lung cancer patients. Lack of surgery, young, and middle age, were independent risk factors for anxiety and depression. Therefore, medical workers should pay close attention to the emotional changes of young or middle-aged patients, or patients without the chance to undergo surgery.

Performance Status Is a Risk Factor for Depression before the Diagnosis of Lung Cancer Patients

Objective Previous studies have shown that lung cancer patients experience depression before their diagnosis. However, the patient characteristics that are risk factors for depression before the diagnosis of lung cancer are unclear. We therefore performed this study to identify the characteristics that are risk factors for depression in lung cancer patients. Methods We performed a prospective observational study that included 183 patients who visited our department for suspected lung cancer between August 2014 and March 2017. These patients completed a Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report questionnaire. Ten patients with a history of depression were excluded. Results Among the remaining 173 patients, 110 were diagnosed with lung cancer. Among these 110 patients, 57 had depression. A poor performance status (PS) was significantly more prevalent in patients with depression than in those without. Furthermore, a multivariate analysis revealed that a poor PS was the only independent risk factor for depression before the diagnosis of lung cancer. Conclusion Physicians can use this information to evaluate whether patients have depression before the diagnosis of lung cancer.

Association of Personality Profiles with Depressive, Anxiety, and Cancer-related Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Background

This study identified latent classes of cancer patients based on Big Five personality dimensions and evaluated for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, depression, anxiety, and cancer-related symptoms.

Methods

Patients (n=1248) with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventories, NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Latent class profile analysis of NEO-FFI scores was used to identify patient subgroups.

Results

Three latent classes were identified. The "Distressed" class (14.3%) scored highest on neuroticism and lowest on extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The "Resilient" class (31.9%) scored lowest on neuroticism and highest on extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The "Normative" class (53.8%) was intermediate on all dimensions except openness. Compared to the Resilient class, patients in the Distressed class were younger, less educated, more likely to care for another adult, had more comorbidities, and exercised less. The three classes differed by performance status, marital and employment status, and income, but not by gender, time since diagnosis, or type of prior cancer treatment. The classes differed (Distressed > Normative > Resilient) in depression, anxiety, and cancer symptoms.

Conclusions

Personality is associated with psychological and physical symptoms in cancer patients.

Psychological distress and coping strategies among women with incurable lung cancer: a qualitative study

PURPOSE

Limited research has focused on women with lung cancer (LC) although they are recognized as the most vulnerable to psychological distress. This study explored in-depth the psychological distress experienced by women with incurable LC and analyzed the coping strategies with which they manage that distress.

METHODS

A qualitative methodology with in-depth interviews was employed for 34 women with advanced or recurrent LC. An inductive data-driven thematic analysis was applied to analyze transcripts.

RESULTS

Psychological distress was an iterative process for the women. Four themes were identified: shock regarding the diagnosis, distress regarding cancer treatment and its side effects, the facing of a recurrent or progressive disease, and persistent struggle with the life-limiting disease. Various coping strategies applied by the women to manage psychological distress were grouped into four themes: relying upon social support, focusing on positive thoughts, avoidance-based strategies, and religious faith and acceptance.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with incurable LC experienced substantial iterative psychological distress throughout the illness, regardless of length of illness at time of interview. They applied multiple forms of coping. The findings enrich the limited existing literature on this understudied population and provide direction for the future development of interventions to improve their psychological well-being.

Depression and its impact on health-related quality of life among Chinese inpatients with lung cancer

Depression is of great concern for patients with cancer. A detailed epidemiological profile of depression in Chinese patients with lung cancer and whether depression impacts patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) remain unknown. This study examined the prevalence and socio-demographic and clinical correlates of depression and its effect on HRQOL in Chinese inpatients with lung cancer of two large general hospitals. A total of 148 inpatients were consecutively recruited, and administered with a standardized questionnaire to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Depression and HRQOL were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and World Health Organization QOL Scale Brief Version, respectively. As high as 43.2% Chinese inpatients with lung cancer had clinically significant depressive symptoms. Multiple logistic regression found that depression was significantly associated with moderate-to-severe pain (OR: 4.43), metastatic cancer (OR: 3.63), a short duration after cancer diagnosis (OR: 1.04), poor performance status (OR: 3.41), and small-cell cancer (OR: 4.52). Depressed patients had significantly poorer HRQOL than not depressed patients in terms of all four domains of HRQOL. After controlling for the potential confounding effects of socio-demographic and clinical factors with analysis of covariance, these group-differences in physical (F = 29.074, P < 0.001), psychological (F = 76.869, P < 0.001), social (F = 21.465, P < 0.001), and environmental (F = 27.685, P < 0.001) HRQOL remained statistically significant. Depression is prevalent in inpatients with lung cancer and independently associated with poor HRQOL. To address this serious issue, effective pain management, psycho-oncology services and, when necessary, psychiatric assessment and treatment, should be routinely provided in oncology departments of Chinese general hospitals.

Incidence and risk factors of depression after diagnosis of lung cancer: A nationwide population-based study

This study aimed to explore the incidence and risk factors of depression after lung cancer diagnosis. Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), incidences and risk factors of depression in lung cancer and nonlung cancer cohorts were analyzed.From 1998 to 2006, a total of 22,125 patients were included in each matched cohort of lung cancer and nonlung cancer patients from NHIRD. The incidence of depression was higher in the lung cancer cohort than in the nonlung cancer cohort (1545.8 vs 1366.6 per 100,000 person-years). An increased risk of depression was observed in the lung cancer cohort [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.16, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.01-1.34, P = .0377]. In lung cancer patients, age ≤50 years (aHR: 2.72, 95% CI: 2.02-3.66, P < .0001), age 50 to 69 years (aHR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.87-2.94, P < .0001), female gender (aHR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.26-1.80, P < .0001), coronary artery disease (CAD) (aHR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.08-1.82, P = .0113), and operation (aHR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.46-2.16, P < .0001) were associated with an increased risk of depression. In addition, higher incidences of emergency room (ER) visit (4.76 vs 2.82, per person-year) and admission (5.73 vs 4.33, per person-year) were observed in lung cancer patients with depression than those without depression.Our results showed that early surveillance and intervention of depression should be advocated after a diagnosis of lung cancer.

Biopsychosocial correlates of hope in Asian patients with cancer: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To examine the factors associated with hope and hopelessness in patients with cancer in Asian countries, and the instruments used to measure hope and hopelessness.

METHORDS

A comprehensive systematic review was conducted with search terms, including cancer, hope, hopelessness and individual Asian country names, on CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus databases. Only quantitative studies on adult cancer populations in Asia examining hope or hopelessness were included.

RESULTS

A total of 2062 unique articles were retrieved from the databases, and 32 studies were selected for inclusion in this review. Hope and hopelessness were most frequently measured with the Herth Hope Index and the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale, respectively. The biopsychosocial factors that were most consistently associated with hope and hopelessness included sociodemographic variables (education, employment and economic status); clinical factors (cancer stage, physical condition and symptoms); and psychosocial factors (emotional distress, social support and connections, quality of life, control or self-efficacy, as well as adjustment and resilience).

DISCUSSION

There is a need for more studies from South and Southeast Asia as most studies hailed from East Asia. This review highlighted the possibility of cultural differences influencing factors related to hope, suggesting that cross-cultural studies specifically would facilitate understanding behind these variations, although future reviews on hope should also include studies on hopelessness for a comprehensive understanding of the concept. Finally, more longitudinal research could be conducted to assess whether the factors associated with hope and hopelessness change over time and disease progression.

Predictive factors of depressive symptoms of elderly patients with cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in geriatrics and oncology. For elderly cancer patients, it has a significant impact on quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. Nevertheless, depression is under-diagnosed and under-treated. Cancer management is key in improving the quality of care in this population. We aim to identify sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment-related factors of depression in elderly patients during chemotherapy, thus allowing early detection of patients in need of specific treatment. Further, we investigate whether chemotherapy efficacy and safety are associated with depression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A prospective multicenter cohort composed of incident cases of cancer diagnosed in patients 70 years and older, receiving first-line chemotherapy. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale at baseline and after four chemotherapy cycles. Associations between depressive symptoms during chemotherapy and patients' clinical and treatment characteristics were identified by logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 344 patients measured for depression before chemotherapy, 260 had a second assessment at the fourth treatment cycle. At baseline, 45.4% were depressed, and 44.6% were depressed after the fourth cycle. Independent factors of depression were depressive symptoms at baseline (odds ratio (OR) = 6.7, p < 0.001), malnutrition (OR = 5.1, p = 0.014), and risk of malnutrition (OR = 1.6, p = 0.014). After controlling for missing data, effective chemotherapy was associated with a lower risk of depression (OR = 0.4, p = 0.018).

CONCLUSION

We highlight the role of depressive symptoms and nutritional status at baseline, on the occurrence of depressive symptoms during chemotherapy. These factors should be taken into account in any pre-treatment consultation and appropriate nutritional and psychiatric preventative measures established. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prevalence rate and influencing factors of preoperative anxiety and depression in gastric cancer patients in China: Preliminary study

Objectives

To investigate the prevalence rate and influencing factors of preoperative anxiety and depression in patients with gastric cancer, in China.

Methods

Patients with gastric cancer who were diagnosed by gastroscopy and would accept laparoscopic surgery were eligible for the study. Each participant completed self-administered questionnaires, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), Social Support Rating Scale, and Type D personality scale before surgery. Routine blood tests were undertaken within 7 days before surgery, to calculate the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Based on HADS, patients were divided into an anxiety/depression group and a nonanxiety/depression group.

Results

Fifty-three patients with gastric cancer were included in the study. The prevalence of preoperative anxiety and/or depression was 20.75% (11/53). Factors influencing preoperative anxiety and depression were a resigned dimension of coping style, type D personality and NLR. Logistic regression analysis showed that a higher score for the resigned dimension of coping style on the MCMQ and a higher NLR were significantly associated with preoperative anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

The prevalence of preoperative anxiety and depression in Chinese patients with gastric cancer may be influenced by both the coping mode and NLR.

Dejection and self-assessment of quality of life in patients with lung cancer subjected to palliative care

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the intensity of dejection and self-assessment of quality of life in patients with lung cancer from the start of palliative care until death.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 63 patients with lung cancer from the start of care until death in palliative medicine centers in Bydgoszcz in 2012-2013. The visual-analogue scale constituting part of the ESAS scale was used to assess dejection, while question number 30 of the EORTC QLQ-C30 was used for self-assessment of quality of life.

RESULTS

"Moderate" and "very" intense dejection initially occurred in 19 (30%) and 24 (38%), and in the 2(nd) assessment in as many as 23 (36%) and 30 (48%) patients. Average quality of life deteriorated in this respect by 0.09 in the two-step scale (p = 0.005). Increase in the intensity of "moderate" dejection occurred between the 1(st) and 3(rd) assessment. Initially it occurred in 2 (9%) patients and in 14 (66%) during the 3(rd) assessment. In contrast, the levels of "very" severe dejection did not change significantly between the 1(st) and the 3(rd) assessment. The average quality of life deteriorated by 0.23 points (p = 0.004). A significant relationship was found only between analgesic treatment and quality of life (p < 0.0005). Other factors such as age, time from diagnosis to start of treatment, place of residence, sex, or financial condition did not affect the quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-assessment of the quality of life worsens with time. The intensity of dejection does not change in the last 3 weeks of life. In multivariate analysis, among the selected variables such as age, sex, place of residence, time from diagnosis to start of palliative care, financial condition, and type of painkillers used, only the latter has an impact on self-assessed quality of life.

The Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Age in Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

CONTEXT

There is controversy around the association between depressive symptoms and age in adult cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the following hypotheses: 1) cancer patients' depressive symptoms decrease with age, and 2) in individuals aged 65 years or older, depressive symptoms increase because of the effect of somatic symptoms.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed a database of 356 cancer patients who were consecutively recruited in a previous multicenter cross-sectional study. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and correlations with age and other factors were assessed by hierarchical multivariate regression analysis. Age was entered as the dependent variable in the first step, patient characteristics and cancer-related variables were entered in the second step, and somatic symptoms were entered in the last step. We analyzed this model for both the total sample and the subpopulation aged 65 years or older.

RESULTS

In the total sample, the PHQ-9 score was significantly associated with lower age, fatigue, and shortness of breath (adjusted R(2) 14.2%). In the subpopulation aged 65 years or older, no factor was associated with the PHQ-9 score (adjusted R(2) 7.3%).

CONCLUSION

The finding that depressive symptoms in cancer patients decreased with age was concordant with our first hypothesis, but the second hypothesis was not supported. Younger cancer patients were vulnerable to depressive symptoms and should be monitored carefully. Further studies using more representative samples are needed to examine in detail the association between depressive symptoms and age in older cancer patients.

Integrating early palliative care (EPC) in the management of lung cancer: The role of the thoracic oncologist

Early introduction of palliative care in the management of patients with metastatic lung cancer is recommended since it improves quality of life and improves survival rates. In many hospitals the focus of palliative teams is often on terminal care due to limited resources. How is Early palliative care (EPC) in this setting implemented in daily oncologic care? It seems obvious that thoracic oncologists will have to become involved in EPC for lung cancer patients. In this review we want to determine the assignments for the thoracic oncologist in EPC and to give some practical tools how we started EPC in collaboration with the palliative team.

Preliminary study of brain glucose metabolism changes in patients with lung cancer of different histological types

BACKGROUND

Cerebral glucose metabolism changes are always observed in patients suffering from malignant tumors. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the brain glucose metabolism changes in patients with lung cancer of different histological types.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty patients with primary untreated lung cancer, who visited People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2012 to July 2013, were divided into three groups based on histological types confirmed by biopsy or surgical pathology, which included adenocarcinoma (52 cases), squamous cell carcinoma (43 cases), and small-cell carcinoma (25 cases). The whole body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) of these cases was retrospectively studied. The brain PET data of three groups were analyzed individually using statistical parametric maps (SPM) software, with 50 age-matched and gender-matched healthy controls for comparison.

RESULTS

The brain resting glucose metabolism in all three lung cancer groups showed regional cerebral metabolic reduction. The hypo-metabolic cerebral regions were mainly distributed at the left superior and middle frontal, bilateral superior and middle temporal and inferior and middle temporal gyrus. Besides, the hypo-metabolic regions were also found in the right inferior parietal lobule and hippocampus in the small-cell carcinoma group. The area of the total hypo-metabolic cerebral regions in the small-cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 3255) was larger than those in the adenocarcinoma group (total voxel value 1217) and squamous cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 1292).

CONCLUSIONS

The brain resting glucose metabolism in patients with lung cancer shows regional cerebral metabolic reduction and the brain hypo-metabolic changes are related to the histological types of lung cancer.

Efficacy and acceptability of antidepressants on the continuum of depressive experiences in patients with cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Patients with cancer are particularly vulnerable to depressive experiences, ranging from severe emotional reactions to proper depressive syndromes, including major depression. These experiences may deeply affect the course and outcome of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy acceptability of antidepressants on the continuum of depressive experiences in patients suffering from cancer.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, as well as websites of regulatory agencies, clinical trial repositories and pharmaceutical companies, were systematically searched for published and unpublished randomised trials assessing the efficacy of antidepressants versus placebo in patients with cancer. Efficacy of antidepressants at the end of the study was the primary outcome. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42014013440).

RESULTS

A total of 19 studies contributed to the analysis. Antidepressants (particularly the selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors and mianserin) were more effective than placebo in relieving depressive experiences in both patients with major depression or depressive symptoms (standardised mean difference -0.596, 95% confidence interval -1.041 to -0.150), as well as in patients with other cancer-related distressing symptoms (standardised mean difference -0.229, 95% confidence interval -0.419 to -0.039). We found evidence that efficacy was positively associated with length of treatment. No differences between antidepressants and placebo were found in terms of overall acceptability.

CONCLUSIONS

Antidepressants should be considered as one treatment option for relieving the burden of depressive experiences in patients with cancer.

Postthoracotomy Pain Syndrome Following Surgery for Lung Cancer: Symptoms and Impact on Quality of Life

Postthoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) is a common complication following thoracic surgery. Most studies examining the influence of PTPS on patient-reported symptoms include few patients managed using a minimally invasive approach. Associated sensory changes, potentially neuropathic in origin, are not well described. We therefore examined the symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of patients with and without PTPS who underwent a standard thoracotomy (n = 43) or minimally invasive surgery (n = 54). Patients in this prospective, cross-sectional study completed questionnaires to assess pain (McGill Pain Questionnaire), neuropathic symptoms (Neuropathic Symptom Questionnaire), symptom distress (Symptom Distress Scale), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and QOL (Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy–Lung). Excepting younger age (p = .009), no demographic or surgical characteristic differentiated patients with and without PTPS. Patients with PTPS described discomfort as pain only (15.1%), neuropathic symptoms only (30.2%) or pain and neuropathic symptoms (54.7%). Scores differed between patients with and without PTPS for symptom distress (p < .001), anxiety and depression (p < .001), and QOL (p = .009), with higher distress associated with PTPS. Despite new surgical techniques, PTPS remains common and results in considerable distress. A focused assessment is needed to identify all experiencing this condition, with referral to pain management specialists if symptoms persist.

The lung cancer patient, the pneumologist and palliative care: a developing alliance

Considerable evidence is now available on the value of palliative care for lung cancer patients in all stages and at all times during the course of the disease. However, pneumologists and their institutions seem to be widely in arrears with the implementation of palliative care concepts and the development of integrated structures.

This review focuses on the available evidence and experience of various frequently unmet needs of lung cancer patients, especially psychological, social, spiritual and cultural ones. A PubMed search for evidence on these aspects of palliative care as well as on barriers to the implementation, on outcome parameters and effectiveness, and on structure and process quality was performed with a special focus on lung cancer patients.

As a consequence, this review particularly draws pneumologists’ attention to improving their skills in communication with the patients, their relatives and among themselves, and to establish team structures with more far-reaching competences and continuity than existing multilateral cooperations and conferences can provide. Ideally, any process of structural and procedural improvement should be accompanied by scientific evaluation and measures for quality optimisation.

Prevalence and relationship between major depressive disorder and lung cancer: a cross-sectional study

Objective

The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence and examine the factors associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) in lung cancer patients.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out in the oncology clinic of the University Hospital, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. Patients with all stages of lung cancer were included in this study. Demographic data of eligible patients were gathered. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Thai version 5.0.0 was used to identify MDD. The Thai version of the Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale was used to assess depression severity.

Results

A total of 146 lung cancer patients from the outpatient clinic from July to December 2012 were approached. The 104 patients were included and analyzed in this study. Based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, 14.4% of them were defined as having MDD. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that Chalder Fatigue Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Lung, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were significantly correlated with MDD in lung cancer patients.

Conclusion

The results suggest that MDD is more prevalent in lung cancer patients. In addition, fatigue, poor quality of life, and sleep disturbance may increase associated MDD. Because of the small sample size, further studies should be conducted to confirm these results.

The influence of coping response and health-related quality of life on perceived social support during cancer treatment

OBJECTIVE

In the biopsychosocial approach, perceived social support has served as a protective factor for psychological adjustment to cancer. This study aimed to determine the influence of different coping responses and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains on perceived social support during cancer treatment.

METHOD

A cross-sectional analysis was carried out in a sample of 757 cancer outpatients. The Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) was employed to assess perceived social support. The Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) Scale measured coping response, and HRQoL was tested with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Multivariate analyses were carried out to examine the extent to which coping and HRQoL were associated with perceived social support.

RESULTS

Coping response explained only 2% of the variance in perceived social support, but Hopelessness had a significant influence on perceived social support (p ≤ 0.01). HRQoL, physical, and mental domains made a significant contribution toward perceived social support, accounting for around 10% of total variance. More than coping response, HRQoL's physical and mental domains had an important influence on perceived social support during cancer treatment.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The findings of the current study report the importance of HRQoL domains in predicting perceived social support during cancer treatment, emphasizing the holistic and multidisciplinary approach to facilitate adjustment to cancer.

A 30-year perspective on psychosocial issues in lung cancer: how lung cancer "Came out of the Closet"

Psychological responses to lung cancer have changed over the past 30 years as perceptions of the disease have changed. Previously seen as a fatal diagnosis, it is now regarded as a cancer whose treatment is increasingly effective as the science of the disease advances. The stigma of smoking is diminishing as more is learned about genetic factors and as more nonsmokers are diagnosed. Support groups are now widely available. The increasing social support and greater knowledge of lung cancer provide a more supportive environment in which patients cope with lung cancer today compared with 30 years ago.