Patients with newly-diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who experience anxiety are at a higher risk of cancer-specific mortality, according to research published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
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According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. When detected early, lung cancer survival rates rise from 17.7% to 55%, though early detection occurs in only 16% of cases. Anxiety is reportedly common in individuals with cancer; one study found that 19% of individuals with cancer experiences clinical levels of anxiety and 22.6% experiences subclinical anxiety symptoms. It is often believed that patients who experience anxiety or depression are more likely to die from cancer, but this notion has yet to be validated in a clinical setting.
Researchers led by Andrea Vodermaier, PhD, University of British Columbia (Canada), conducted a study to examine potential associations of anxiety and depression in patients with stage-III, newly-diagnosed NSCLC. A total of 684 patients were sampled between 2004 and 2010 and assessed for anxiety and depression with the PsychoSocial Screen for Cancer questionnaire after their initial diagnosis and before initiation of treatment. After researchers collected survival data in 2012, they used Cox proportional regression hazards regression analyzes to examine correlations between anxiety and/or depression and death while controlling for demographic, biomedical, and treatment variables.
Researchers found that anxiety, but not depression, was associated with increased lung cancer-specific (hazards ratio [HR], 1.04; 1.01-1.07; P = .035) and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.04; 1.01-1.07; P = .005).
The demonstrated association of anxiety with mortality suggests that addressing psychosocial factors could play a crucial role in limiting disease progression in patients with NSCLC. Researchers point to “psychological interventions” and anxiety management as potential influencers of increasing length of survival in such patients.
The study’s authors acknowledge that further research is necessary to ascertain a greater understanding of cancer’s psychosocial effects.
