Depression and quality of Life before and after diagnosis of lung cancer / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of depression and quality of life(QoL)in lung cancer patients before and after diagnosis , and to investigate the potential related factors. Methods The subjects consisted of 115 consecutive adult patients newly diagnosed for lung cancer in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital between April 2008 and October 2008. Depression and QoL were evaluated before the diagnosis for baseline; the same evaluation was repeated after surgery. The median interval was 34.6 days (ranged 28-44 days). Patients' biomedical characteristics were noted from patients' medical records, while the demographic factors were obtained during the interview at the out-patients department. Statistical analysis was used to identify the significant predictors. Results The overall incidence of depression before final diagnosis and after surgery was 22.6% and 17.4 %, respectively. No significant change in the prevalence of depression was found in our study. Education, cost of hospitalization, and smoking status were associated with an increased risk of depression before final diagnosis. Age, having confidant, performance status, and type of surgery were found related with postoperative depression. Patients' QoL had a decrease in every subscale after surgery. Changes in role, social functioning scales and fatigue, pain symptom scales were found significantly. In QoL subsc ales, preoperative dyspnea, postoperative role functioning, fatigue , and pain were associated with changes of depression. Conclusion Depression may be present prior to final diagnosis in lung cancer patients and it does not seem to decrease significantly after surgery, indicating the need for psychological screening and appropriate intervention during theperioperative period. A poorer QoL was detected after surgery, which maybe partly contributed to depression symptoms.