Abstract
PurposePatients with lung cancer experience a variety of distressing symptoms which could adversely affect quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine whether psychological distress prior to surgery is associated to health status and symptom burden in lung cancer survivors.MethodsA longitudinal observational study with 1‐year follow‐up was carried out. Health status was measured by the WHO Disability Assessment Scale (WHO-DAS 2.0), the Euroqol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Symptoms severity included dyspnoea (Multidimensional Profile of Dyspnoea); pain (Brief Pain Inventory); fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale); and cough (Leicester Cough Questionnaire).ResultsOne hundred seventy-four lung cancer patients were included. Patients in the group with psychological distress presented a worse self-perceived health status, functionality and sleep quality. The group with psychological distress also presented higher dyspnoea, fatigue and pain.ConclusionPatients with psychological distress prior surgery present with a greater symptom burden and a poorer self-perceived health status, lower functionality and sleep quality, than patients without distress 1 year after the lung resection.
Highlights
Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide [1], accounting for 27% of cancer deaths in 2014 [2]
This study aimed to determine whether psychological distress prior to surgery is associated with health status and symptom burden in lung cancer survivors
This study aimed to determine whether psychological distress prior to surgery is associated with health status and symptom burden in lung cancer survivors in the long term
Summary
Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide [1], accounting for 27% of cancer deaths in 2014 [2]. Curative lung resection is the preferred treatment for early-stage lung cancer, significantly improving 5-year survival rates in this population [5]. This has led to a growing interest in addressing issues faced by these longterm survivors [6], identifying the physical and psychosocial factors affecting their well-being [7]. Psychological distress has been defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network as “an unpleasant experience of an emotional, psychological, social, or spiritual nature that interferes with the ability to cope with cancer treatment” [14] It includes a wide continuum of psychological feelings relating to worry, anxiety, depression, fear and sadness and extends on a continuum from common normal feelings of vulnerability to problems that are disabling, such as true depression [15, 16]
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