Patients with cancer who are suffering from depression may be less responsive to cancer drugs and less tolerant of their side-effects, a new study shows.
-----
Related Content
Psychedelic drug psilocybin relieves cancer-related anxiety, depression
Severe depression shouldn't rule out first-line cognitive behavioral therapy
-----
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical component of healthy brain function, and low levels of the protein in the blood have previously been linked to mental illness. Cancer patients often experience depression, which could be linked to BDNF levels.
To determine the effects of BDNF levels on treatment response in patients with cancer, researchers led by Yufeng Wu, PhD, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (China), sampled 186 recently diagnosed patients with advanced lung cancer who were scheduled to receive chemotherapy treatment. Before treatment, researchers asked patients to rate their depression levels. Patients were then asked to share details about their quality of life and their overall survival and other data were recorded as treatment progressed.
Results during and after chemotherapy showed the patients with the highest levels of depression were the most intolerant of chemotherapy. These patients were often susceptible to vomiting, a loss of white blood cells, and longer hospital stays. They also experienced cancer progressions at a quicker rate than those patients with lower levels of depression.
An analysis of the BDNF levels in patients with severe depression showed a clear correlation between high BDNF levels and the number of tumor cells killed by chemotherapy. Patients with severe depression had lower levels of BDNF in their blood, and their chances of survival were less than those patients with lower levels of depression. Results of the study were reported at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress (Singapore).
"It's crucial doctors pay more attention to the mood and emotional state of patients,” said Dr Wu. The correlation between depression and poor outcomes among patients with cancer is significant and can be explained by low levels of BDNF in the blood.
Further research is needed to analyze the effects of different anti-depressant drugs on BDNF levels. "Our aim now is to prescribe drugs such as fluoxetine to depressed patients and study their sensitivity to chemotherapy," said Dr Wu.
