A Profile of Depression in Lung Cancer Patients

Depression affects up to 44% of lung cancer patients. To explore its potential effects on survival, researchers conducted a prospective observational study of 1790 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients (66% with non–small-cell lung cancer, 47% stage 1–2) who completed an eight-item depression scale at the time of cancer diagnosis and at 1-year follow-up. At baseline, 681 patients (38%) had symptoms of depression (42% with a psychiatric history); another 105 (14%) developed depression during cancer therapy.

Baseline depression (vs. no depression) was associated with significantly shorter estimated survival (median, 604 vs. 797 days), as were new-onset depression and persistent depression. Baseline depression was associated with significantly i…