MA10.05 Distress Screening in Lung Cancer Patients using a Distress Thermometer: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Distress thermometer (DT) has been widely recommended for distress screening in cancer patients due to its simple procedure, high sensitivity, and specificity. A meta-analysis was conducted to statistically summarize the prevalence of distress in lung cancer patients using DT screenings. Effective measures were presented with a prevalence or risk difference with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A heterogeneity test was assessed using the Q test and the I2 statistics helped to decide whether to use the random effects model or fixed effects model. Ten eligible studies, including a total of 1,082 patients were included in this analysis. The pooled prevalence of distress in patients with lung cancer was 0.4904 [95% CI (0.4151, 0.5660)]. The subgroup analysis revealed that the distress prevalence was significantly different (P < 0.05) across North America, Europe, and China with values of 0.5333 [95% CI (0.4522, 0.6137)], 0.4381 [95% CI (0.3157, 0.5643)], 0.3857 [95% CI (0.3389, 0.4341)], respectively. However, the distress prevalence in terms of DT threshold, published year, and sample size were with no significant differences. Moreover, the distress prevalence was statistically significant between males and females (P < 0.05), yet there were no significant differences with histology and previous treatment. Additionally, no significant publication bias was identified by Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test. Overall, the distress prevalence was exceedingly high, with tremendous clinical challenges for lung cancer patients. Routine distress screening and evaluation by DT may be necessary to develop proper interventions and to improve oncology management.