Objective: To evaluate the impact of breast cancer and the quality of life of women survivors and to identify associations between sociodemographic and clinical variables. Method: This was a cross-sectional, analytical, quantitative study conducted with women receiving outpatient post-treatment care at a public institution of the city of São Paulo, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Instruments: sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires; Impact of Cancer scale; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer scale. Descriptive and analytical statistical analysis were performed. Results: One hundred women were included in the study with a mean age of 60 years (SD = 11.3); most with less than 5 years of follow-up, low purchasing power, and low education levels. Negative Impact of Cancer: Health Worry, Body Changes, Feelings, and Meaning of Cancer. Quality of life: 81.9 (18.3), specific: 105.6 (24.6). The following subscales of the impact of cancer scale predicted lower quality of life scores: Body Changes, Negative Self-Evaluation, and Concerns about Cancer (p <0.05). Conclusion: Although they presented high scores for quality of life, patients reported negative impacts of cancer, enhanced by vulnerabilities.

Our findings suggest that female patients reported more distress, anxiety, and depression than male patients. Gender differences were related to problem-related distress but not to grade of neoplasm. We observed that, over the course of chemotherapy, the distress levels of patients with hematological cancer decrease over time.

No abstract

Purpose Monitoring distress assessment in cancer patients during the treatment phase is a component of good quality care practice. Yet, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining distress. In an attempt to begin filling this gap and inform clinical practice, we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study examining changes in distress (anxiety, depression, and problems in living) by age and gender and the roles of age and gender in predicting distress. Methods Newly diagnosed Brazilian cancer patients (N = 548) were assessed at three time points during chemotherapy. Age and gender were identified on the first day of chemotherapy (T1); anxiety, depression, and problems in living were self-reported at T1, the planned midway point (T2), and the last day of chemotherapy (T3). Results At T1, 37 and 17% of patients reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. At T3, the prevalence was reduced to 4.6% for anxiety and 5.1% for depression (p < .001). Patients 40-55 years, across all time points, reported greater anxiety and practical problems than patients >70 years (p < .03). Female patients reported greater emotional, physical, and family problems than their male counterparts (p < .04).Conclusions For most patients, elevated levels of distress noted in the beginning of treatment subsided by the time of treatment completion. However, middle-aged and female patients continued to report heightened distress. Evidence-based psychosocial intervention offered to at risk patients during early phases of the treatment may provide distress relief and improve outcomes over the illness trajectory while preventing psychosocial and physical morbidity due to untreated chronic distress.

Patients diagnosed with rare cancer reported poorer psychosocial outcomes and impaired quality of life when compared to the general population of cancer patients. Certain demographic groups (eg, women and younger patients) may benefit from targeted psychosocial interventions.

ResumoInstrumentos de avaliação de ansiedade e depressão são úteis para diagnóstico e orientação do manejo clínico diante das alterações emocionais suscitadas pelas vivências do câncer. O presente estudo comparou vantagens e desvantagens psicométricas de instrumentos comumente utilizados em serviços especializados em Oncologia: Escala de Ansiedade e Depressão (HADS), Transtorno Geral de Ansiedade (GAD-7) e Questionário sobre Saúde do Paciente (PHQ-9). Participaram da pesquisa, 200 pacientes diagnosticados com câncer, em tratamento quimioterápico, sendo 30,5% homens e 69,5% mulheres, com idade entre 18 a 89 anos (M=56,8; DP=15). Os instrumentos mostraram coeficientes de fidedignidade variando entre 0,74 e 0,84. As características psicométricas estudadas indicaram valores melhores para HADS-D e GAD-7. Entretanto, HADS-A e PHQ-9 também se mostraram adequados para avaliação de ansiedade e depressão. Sugere-se a adoção desses instrumentos para triagem, diagnóstico e monitoramento de pacientes com câncer, especialmente nos domínios psicológico e social. Palavras-chave: Câncer; Ansiedade; Depressão; Psicometria; Medidas estatísticas. Assessment of anxiety and depression in cancer patients: A psychometric comparison AbstractEvaluation tools of anxiety and depression are useful for diagnosis and clinical management orientation before the changes caused by cancer experiences. The present study compared psychometric advantages and disadvantages of instruments commonly used in specialized services in Oncology: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). There were 200 patients diagnosed with cancer and in chemotherapy treatment participating in the study, being 30.5% men and 69.5% women, aged between 18 to 89 years (M=56.8; SD=15). The instruments showed coefficients of reliability varying between .74 and .84. The evaluated psychometric characteristics indicated better values for HADS-D and GAD-7. However, HADS-A and PHQ-9 were also found to be suitable for evaluation of anxiety and depression. We suggest the adoption of these instruments for screening, diagnosis and monitoring of cancer patients, especially in psychological and social domains. Keywords: Cancer; Anxiety; Depression; Psychometrics; Statistical measurement.Evaluación de la ansiedad y la depresión en pacientes oncológicos: comparación psicométrica Resumen Instrumentos de evaluación de ansiedad y depresión son útiles para el diagnóstico y la orientación del manejo clínico frente a los cambios emocionales originados por las experiencias del cáncer. Este estudio comparó ventajas y desventajas psicométricas de instrumentos utilizados comúnmente en servicios especializados en Oncología: Escala de Ansiedad y Depresión (HADS), Trastorno General de Ansiedad (GAD-7) y Cuestionario sobre la Salud del Paciente (PHQ-9). Participaron del estudio 200 pacientes diagnosticados con cáncer, en tratamiento con quimioterapia, siendo 30,5% hombres y 69,5% mujeres, con edades entre 18 y 89 años (M=56,8...

The current study provides preliminary evidence that a multidisciplinary structured screening program utilizing validated measures and team meetings is associated with reduced impairment in patients' psychological well being. This program provided more opportunities for collaboration among providers with increased multidisciplinary meetings, enabled patients to more easily report problems, and ensured rapid access to relevant resources.

The results of the current study serve to refute generalizations regarding age or gender demographics and support preferences and thus reinforce the need to offer services in the context of cancer in flexible and varied ways. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.