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Screening tools effectively measured distress in melanoma patients
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A distress thermometer and problem list questionnaire effectively measured psychosocial distress among patients with melanoma, with nearly 50% of patients meeting distress criteria, according to recent study results.
Researchers in Germany studied 520 outpatients with melanoma (average age, 58.5 years; 53% men) who completed a distress thermometer (DT) and problem list (PL) before their scheduled consultations. Patients’ charts were used to obtain demographic and clinical data.
On the self-reported DT, which was measured on a 0-10 scale (no distress to extreme distress), patients circled the number that best described their level during the previous week. For the PL, patients indicated (yes/no) whether they had any of 35 problems commonly experienced by cancer patients during the previous 7 days.
Forty-seven percent of patients reported scores of 5 or more to indicate distress. Higher distress was reported by employed patients compared with retired patients (OR=0.51; 95% CI, 0.36-0.72).
Cut-off scores indicating distress were closely associated with self-reported emotional sources of distress, including practical problems, particularly at work, family problems, and physical problems like pain, appearance, mobility, and nausea. Researchers observed little association between distress and clinical data.
“The results suggest that the DT and PL may be used to identify distressed melanoma patients,” the researchers concluded. “It seems to be an economically reasonable initial measure and helps to better identify patients who would actually profit from further psychosocial intervention. Even though melanoma patients, regardless of stage, seem to cope well with their disease, younger patients who are currently employed and patients under current systemic treatment should be followed more cautiously.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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