The Quality of Life of Patients with Suspected Lung Cancer before and after Bronchoscopy and the Effect of Mirtazapine on the Depressive Status

Abstract

Objective Patients with suspected lung cancer often experience adverse side effects such as anxiety, depression, and a decreased appetite. These side effects influence the patients' quality of life and their ability to make decisions concerning appropriate treatment. This study examined the psychological status and quality of life of patients with suspected lung cancer before and after bronchoscopy treatment and evaluated the effect of mirtazapine prescribed to patients with depression. Methods To assess patient characteristics (e.g. age, gender, and medical history), a questionnaire including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Japanese version and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-L was administered. Patients Forty-three patients admitted for bronchoscopy treatment between May 2017 and April 2018 were included. Results The results showed that patients with depression reported a worse quality of life than those without depression. Compared with no medication, the administration of mirtazapine alleviated depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the patients' depressive status was affected by their physical symptoms, including coughing, tightness of chest, and dyspnea. Conclusion Our results emphasize the importance of detecting depression in the early stages of a cancer diagnosis and have significant implications concerning pharmacological intervention in patients with cancer displaying signs of depression.

Association between Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Diagnostic Flexible Video Bronchoscopy

“…Additionally, the patients with better QOL in the four main domains, including the social domain, presented a lower perception of anxiety related to the personality structure. This finding highlights the impact of QOL on anxiety, which also concurs with many other studies [18,[53][54][55][56].…”

Effects of Perioperative Psychological Reinforcement Intervention on Negative Emotion and Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients

“…All patients meet the diagnostic criteria for lung cancer; the patient's clinical data are complete and accurate, with no contraindications to chemotherapy and other physical diseases; all subjects have signed informed consent. by pathological biopsy and cytology; patients who have received chemotherapy; patients with severe heart, liver and kidney organ failure or pregnant and lactating female patients; patients who cannot cooperate with this experiment [8,9] .…”