Psychological Distress and Cancer Survival: A Follow-Up 10 Years After Diagnosis
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study tested the predictive role of psychological distress in cancer survival, while attempting to overcome several important methodological and statistical limitations that have clouded the issue. METHODS: Measures collected on a range of emotional and cognitive factors in the early postdiagnostic period and at 4-month intervals up to 15 months after diagnosis were used to predict survival time up to 10 years among 205 cancer patients heterogeneous in disease site, status, and progression. RESULTS: With the use of both baseline and repeated measures, depressive symptomology was the most consistent psychological predictor of shortened survival time, after controlling for several known demographic and medical risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Given the importance of depressive symptoms to cancer survival, discussion focuses on the possible mechanisms mediating this relationship, the importance of psychological screening of cancer patients, and need for further research.
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Distress in cancer patients has been associated with non-adherence to anti-cancer medications; increased number of clinic and emergency room visits, longer hospital stays; worse quality of life and inferior survival.
“Distress in cancer patients has been associated with non-adherence to anti-cancer medications; increased number of clinic and emergency room visits, longer hospital stays [55, 56]; worse quality of life and inferior survival [57–59].”
From Being present: A single-arm feasibility study of audio-based mindfulness meditation for colorectal cancer patients and caregivers (2018) · cites this paper as [58]
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References 64 · Cited by 213
- Authors
- Brown, K. W., Levy, A. R., Rosberger, Z., & Edgar, L.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Venue
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Published
- 2003-07
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 636-643
- ISSN
- 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2089437545
- Cited by
- 213
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 2.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Keywords
- psychological distress, cancer survival, depressive symptoms, depression, prognostic factors, psychological screening, cancer patients, repeated measures
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Depression, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Prognosis, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress, Psychological, Time Factors, Proportional Hazards Models, Survival Analysis, Single-Blind Method, Disease Progression
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