Lung cancer patients with anxiety, depression die sooner
The study, published this month in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management , is among the first to examine the effect of anxiety and depression on survival rates for lung cancer patients. The findings build on similar previous research looking at breast cancer patients, further deepening scientists' understanding of the effect of psychosocial factors on survival rates for patients diagnosed with cancer. "The question of whether anxiety and depression affect survival in cancer patients has been of interest to scientists for decades, but long-term research has been limited," said Andrea Vodermaier, the study's lead author and postdoctoral research fellow in the UBC department of psychology. "Our study confirms that there is indeed a link for lung cancer patients, and that it's important for health-care providers to treat not only their tumour but also focus on the full emotional experience of the patient." For the study, researchers followed 684...