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Survivors were more likely to experience serious psychological distress
ASTRO 50th Annual Meeting
BOSTON — Researchers in Boston concluded that long-term survivors of adult-onset cancer were twice as likely to say they had psychological distress compared with the general population, though the exact cause of that stress is unknown.
Karen Hoffman, MD, a radiation oncologist at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, presented the results at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting.
Researchers from Harvard, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute culled the results from the responses of 4,636 survivors and 122,220 healthy participants who responded to the 2002-2006 National Health Interview Survey.
Hoffman said the investigators were not sure what to expect when they began the study.
“Many cancer survivors report the cancer experience as being positive overall. Survivors may have an enhanced sense of self-esteem from what they have endured or feelings of good fortune from living longer than they had expected,” Hoffman told HemOnc Today. “Often they reprioritize things in life or make different decisions about how they spend their time.”
The researchers found that 5.6% of survivors reported serious psychological distress, compared with 3% of the control group. When adjusted for age and sex, researchers found the OR was 1.9 (95% CI, 1.7-2.3). When adjusted for all socioeconomic and clinical variables, the OR was 1.4 (95% CI, 1.2-1.7).
Younger survivors, those with more comorbid illnesses, those with less education, the uninsured and those who were not in a live-in relationship were even more likely to report psychological distress (see chart).
Hoffman said the survey did not ask why survivors felt distressed, but she said survivors can face many potential stressors.
She said oncologists must assess patients’ mental health as rigorously as their physical health.
“Cancer survivors can face many potential stressors. They may fear cancer recurrence or death. They may have adjustments to physical impairment because certain kinds of cancer treatment can affect body function or their long-term health,” she said. “They also can face stress with regards to social adaption. Occasionally, the cancer experience may affect their career choices or career advancement.” – by Jason Harris
It is very, very common to find that survivors are less stressed than other people. The issues of cancer survivorship are myriad, and this issue of distress has certainly been under appreciated. There is a complex mix of emotions at play and I think Dr. Hoffman’s study is pointing that out to us.
– Louis Harrison, MD
HemOnc Today Editorial Board member
Factors associated with increased psychological distress among long-term survivors of cancer |
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For more information:
- Hoffman KE. #225. Presented at: the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting; Sept. 21-25, 2008; Boston.