Precancer and cancer-associated depression and anxiety among older adults with blood cancers in the United States

Depression in patients with hematologic malignancies: The current landscape and future directions

Patients with hematologic malignancies experience high rates of depression. These patients are vulnerable to depression throughout the disease trajectory, from diagnosis to survivorship, and at the end of life. In addition to the distressing nature of depression, it has substantial downstream effects including poor quality of life, increased risk of treatment complications, and worse survival. Therefore, systematic screening for depression and integration of robust psychological interventions for affected patients is crucial. Although depression has been historically studied mostly in patients with solid malignancies, research focusing on patients with hematologic malignancies is growing. In this article, we describe what is known about depression in patients with hematologic malignancies, including its assessment, prevalence, risk factors, and implications. We also describe interventions to ameliorate depression in this population. Future research is needed to test effective and scalable interventions to reduce the burden of depression among patients with blood cancers.

Evaluation of lifestyle behaviors, anxiety and depression in patients with hematologic disorders

Patients with hematologic disorders may experience anxiety and depression due to their immunocompromised status and potential side effects of therapies. Healthy lifestyle behaviors might enhance the mental health. To evaluate the association of both separate and clustering pattern lifestyle behaviors with anxiety and depression in hematological patients, healthcare providers can develop future initiatives that respond to the specific needs of this population. A total of 185 patients with hematologic disorders were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Linear regression analysis was performed to measure the association of separate lifestyles with anxiety and depression. Latent class analysis was further conducted to identify homogeneous and mutually exclusive lifestyle classes, and the logistic regression was then used to assess the relationship between class memberships and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The study found sleep quality was correlated with anxiety and depression. Nevertheless, no association of anxious and depressive symptoms with sitting and exercise, dietary habits, toxicant exposure, drinking, and smoking, in either the overall patient population or patients classified by hematologic neoplasms. Two latent classes of lifestyle behaviors were further identified, but the class memberships were independent of anxiety and depression. The study suggested that promoting sleep quality was a viable intervention for patients with hematologic disorders. However, the clustering pattern of lifestyles may not be a reliable indicator of psychological issues.

Mortality among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and mental disorders: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Mental disorders have been reported in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but studies examining their association with mortality are lacking.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based study using linked administrative health-care databases from Ontario, Canada. All patients with DLBCL 18 years of age or older treated with rituximab-based therapy between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2017, were identified and followed until March 1, 2020. Mental disorders were defined as either preexisting or postdiagnosis (after lymphoma treatment initiation). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) between mental disorders and 1-year and all-cause mortality while controlling for covariates.

RESULTS

We identified 10 299 patients with DLBCL. The median age of the cohort was 67 years; 46% of patients were female, and 28% had a preexisting mental disorder. At 1-year follow-up, 892 (9%) had a postdiagnosis mental disorder, and a total of 2008 (20%) patients died. Preexisting mental disorders were not associated with 1-year mortality (adjusted HR = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96 to 1.17, P = .25), but postdiagnosis disorders were (adjusted HR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.26 to 1.82, P = .0001). During a median follow-up of 5.2 years, 2111 (22%) patients had a postdiagnosis mental disorder, and 4084 (40%) patients died. Both preexisting and postdiagnosis mental disorders were associated with worse all-cause mortality (preexisting adjusted HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.20, P = .0024; postdiagnosis adjusted HR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.49 to 1.79, P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with DLBCL and mental disorders had worse short-term and long-term mortality, particularly those with postdiagnosis mental disorders. Further studies are needed to examine mental health service utilization and factors mediating the relationship between mental disorders and inferior mortality.

Mental health disorders and survival among older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the USA: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Mental health disorders can potentially decrease quality of life and survival in patients with cancer. Little is known about the survival implications of mental health disorders in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We aimed to evaluate the effect of pre-existing depression, anxiety, or both on survival in a US cohort of older patients with DLBCL.

METHODS

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare (SEER-Medicare) database, we identified patients aged 67 years or older, diagnosed with DLBCL in the USA between Jan 1, 2001, and Dec 31, 2013. We used billing claims to identify patients with pre-existing depression, anxiety, or both before their DLBCL diagnosis. We compared 5-year overall survival and lymphoma-specific survival between these patients and those without pre-existing depression, anxiety, or both using Cox proportional analyses, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including DLBCL stage, extranodal disease, and B symptoms.

FINDINGS

Among 13 244 patients with DLBCL, 2094 (15·8%) had depression, anxiety, or both disorders; 6988 (52·8%) were female, and 12 468 (94·1%) were White. The median follow-up for the cohort was 2·0 years (IQR 0·4-6·9 years). 5-year overall survival was 27·0% (95% CI 25·1-28·9) for patients with these mental health disorders versus 37·4% (36·5-38·3) for those with no mental health disorder (hazard ratio [HR] 1·37, 95% CI 1·29-1·44). Although survival differences between mental health disorders were modest, those with depression alone had the worst survival compared with no mental health disorder (HR 1·37, 95% CI 1·28-1·47), followed by those with depression and anxiety (1·23, 1·08-1·41), and then anxiety alone (1·17, 1·06-1·29). Individuals with these pre-existing mental health disorders also had lower 5-year lymphoma-specific survival, with depression conferring the greatest effect (1·37, 1·26-1·49) followed by those with depression and anxiety (1·25, 1·07-1·47) and then anxiety alone (1·16, 1·03-1·31).

INTERPRETATION

Pre-existing depression, anxiety, or both disorders present within 24 months before DLBCL diagnosis, worsens prognosis for patients with DLBCL. Our data underscore the need for universal and systematic mental health screening for this population, as mental health disorders are manageable, and improvements in this prevalent comorbidity might affect lymphoma-specific survival and overall survival.

FUNDING

American Society of Hematology, National Cancer Institute, Alan J Hirschfield Award.

Reducing barriers of access and care related to hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy: The mission-driven role of the national marrow donor program

The treatment of malignant and nonmalignant hematologic disorders continues to benefit from significant scientific advancement and progress in the use of hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapies. However, barriers associated with receiving these lifesaving treatments and care remain, which necessitate innovative approaches to overcome, so all persons in need can receive these therapies. This article reviews barriers to receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapies, and highlights novel approaches taken by the National Marrow Donor Program in reducing barriers for all patients in need.

Depression and anxiety in older adults with cancer: Systematic review and meta-summary of risk, protective and exacerbating factors

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate the risk factors of depression and anxiety in older adults with cancer.

METHOD

This PRISMA-adherent systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42022372747) involved a systematic database search for prospective and retrospective cohort studies.

RESULTS

We included 33 cohort studies with 31 evaluating depression and seven evaluating anxiety. Systematic synthesis yielded various protective and exacerbating factors for depression and anxiety amongst older adults with cancer. These factors span a range of domains: (1) Cancer and associated treatment-related factors; (2) Medical, physical and functional factors; (3) Demographic factors and; (4) Social and lifestyle factors. At the individual-level, the most significant factors were the presence of chronic medical comorbidities, having pre-existing psychological symptoms, and poor baseline physical and functional status. Within the social unit, the degree of social support and presence of a partner were most significant.

CONCLUSION

The deleterious impact comorbid psychological symptoms can have on older adults with cancer can be profound. In this review, we highlight a range of protective and exacerbating factors identified from cohort studies that may enable policymakers to tailor and individualise interventions to manage depression, anxiety and associated burden in this vulnerable population. The relative paucity of studies evaluating anxiety highlights an important research gap.

A systematic review of coping skill interventions to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms among adults with hematologic malignancies

BACKGROUND

Patients with hematologic malignancies experience anxiety and depressive symptoms from diagnosis through survivorship. The aim of this systematic review is to determine if coping skill interventions can reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms for persons with hematologic cancer.

METHODS

Databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, APA PyschInfo, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched in June of 2021 for coping skill interventional studies with adult patients with hematologic cancer and outcomes of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Search terms, definitions, and inclusion/exclusion criteria were guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and quality appraisal utilized the Johns Hopkins Evidence Based Practice Appraisal tool. The study was registered in PROSPERO under "CRD42021262967."

RESULTS

Eleven studies met inclusion criteria with ten studies evaluating anxiety symptoms and nine studies evaluating depressive symptoms. Of ten studies with 449 participants evaluating anxiety, five studies showed significant reduction (p < 0.05), three found small to moderate effect size reductions not reaching statistical significance (p > 0.05), and only two showed no reduction in anxiety symptoms. Of nine studies with 429 participants evaluating depressive symptoms, three had significant reductions (p < 0.05), three reported small to moderate effect size reductions not reaching statistical significance (p > 0.05), and three found no effect on depressive symptoms. Coping interventions that were problem-focused as opposed to emotion-focused were most effective for both anxiety and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review finds evidence that problem-focused coping interventions reduce anxiety symptoms among patients with hematologic malignancies, with mixed evidence for reduction of depressive symptoms. Nurses and other clinicians caring for patients with hematologic cancers may employ coping skill interventions as a potential way to mitigate anxiety and depressive symptoms.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION ID

CRD42021262967.

Short Sleep Duration as a Risk Factor for Depression, Anxiety and Fatigue in Patients with Leukemia

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to investigate the level of depression, anxiety, and fatigue in patients with leukemias, and analyze the influence of sleep duration on the mental symptoms of patients with leukemias.

METHODS

A total of 127 patients were enrolled in our study and completed the questionnaire survey. Self-Assessment Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Assessment Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14) were adopted. The patient's lifestyle information, including exercise, alcohol abuse, and smoking, was obtained from the patient's self-report.

RESULTS

Depression score of patients with sleep duration >8 hours (long duration group) was 56.21±11.63, which was significantly lower than that of patients sleep duration between 6 and 8 hours (medium duration group) with 59.61±8.77 and patients sleep <6 hours (short duration group) with 64.82±6.42 (P = 0.007). Similarly, the anxiety score of long duration group, medium duration group and short duration group was 45.36±11.41, 48.26±6.96 and 53.53±5.87, respectively (P = 0.005). The fatigue score of short duration group is 8.47±2.45, which is higher than others (P = 0.046). To further identify the relationship, we evaluated physical fatigue and mental fatigue levels in patients with or without symptoms of depression. We found that patients with symptoms of depression have a higher score both in physical fatigue and mental fatigue (all p < 0.001). Similar trend was observed in patients with or without symptoms of anxiety (all p < 0.001). However, alzhough patients with leukemia in long duration group have the highest score of physical fatigue (p = 0.016), no significant difference in mental fatigue was found in different sleeping duration group (p = 0.587). Furthermore, multivariate analyses were conducted and revealed that sleep duration was the independent factor associated with depression (OR = 0.270, P = 0.003) and anxiety (OR = 0.473, P = 0.010).

CONCLUSION

For leukemia patients with short sleep duration, a prompt evaluation of their level of depression, anxiety, and fatigue and the initiation of timely interventions is essential.