Quality of life, anxiety, and depression in Turkish colorectal cancer patients

Abstract

One hundred ten patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy who presented to Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology between January 2004 and April 2007 were included in this study. The series of forms including the questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the patient, Turkish version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Turkish version of the STAI, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30; version 3) were completed during face-to-face interviews by trained interviewers to determine the psychological status and quality of life of the patients. The mean Beck depression scores were 11.2 +/- 9.0 (range 0-44) and the mean STAI scores were 41.9 +/- 8.8 (range 22-71). Of the patients (Beck depression scores >or=17 points), 23.6% were determined as depressive. The EORTC-QLQ-C30 function scales and global quality of life scores of the depressive patients (BDI >or= 17) were significantly lower than that of the nondepressive patients (BDI < 17). EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom scale scores (excluding of the diarrhea) of the depressive patients were significantly higher than that of the nondepressive patients. The patients with low STAI scores (STAI < 45) had significantly higher EORTC-QLQ-C30 function scales and global quality of life scores than the patients with high STAI scores (STAI >or= 45). EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom scale scores of the patients with high STAI scores were significantly higher than that of the patients with low STAI scores. In the present study, we detected that anxiety and depression were strongly associated with poor quality of life in Turkish colorectal cancer patients.

Anxiety and Depression as Predictive Factors for Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Gastrointestinal Cancer

“…In the present study, participants reported a moderate level of QOL. This is consistent with a previous study of patients with advanced colorectal cancer, 20) but symptom QOL in our study was much lower (indicating better QOL) than that reported in a study of patients with metastatic gastrointestincal cancer, 23) because esophageal cancer was the studies conducted on patients with metastatic cancer (64~90%). 28) Many previous studies have included inpatients with metastatic cancer or patients with progressive cancer after the initial diagnosis of metastatic cancer.…”

“…25,26) However, there are few studies that have focused on anxiety and depression in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, or that have reported an association between psychological distress and QOL in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. 19,20,27) Alacacioglu et al 20) reported that anxiety and depression were strongly associated with poor QOL in Turkish colorectal cancer patients, and Tsunoda et al 27) reported that depression had a stronger impact than anxiety on the global QOL of colorectal cancer patients. In the present study, participants reported a moderate level of QOL.…”

“…Although there are many studies on psychological distress and QOL in cancer patients, [14][15][16][17][18] there are few studies on the relation between psychological distress and QOL in patients with advanced or metastatic gastrointestinal cancer. 19,20) The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with QOL, pain, anxiety, and depression were evaluated at initial diagnosis of advanced gastrointestinal cancer (study enrollment) and during the palliative treatment process (3 months after study enrollment). The reason for setting 3 months as the point of the palliative treatment process is that most of the patients will have active anticancer treatment at the 3 months after initial diagnosis even considering the gastrointestinal cancer with poor prognosis such as liver, pancreas, and bile duct cancers.…”

Effect of Group Therapy on Psychological Symptoms and Quality of Life in Turkish Patients with Breast Cancer

“…It was showed that stress management and resilience training program (SMART) in breast cancer version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The STAI (Alacacioglu et al, 2010;Oner et al, 1998) is composed of two separate self-report scales, the STAI-1 and -2. Each of them consists of 20 statements that address the individual's situational anxiety.…”

“…The split-half reliability coefficient reported was 0.93. Concurrent validity was determined by correlations with clinician ratings of depression using the revised BDI and ranged from 0.62 to 0.66 (Hisli, 1988;Alacacioglu et al, 2010).…”