A study involving approximately 265,000 cancer patients in the United States indicates that timely intervention for depression following a cancer diagnosis can improve survival rates. According to Edmund Qiao, a radiation oncologist at the University of California San Diego, early psychotherapy is associated with a reduced mortality rate among these patients.
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Qiao's research, presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (Astro) conference in Boston, revealed that only 3% of patients receive prompt treatment for depression after their diagnosis. The findings suggest that individuals with major depressive disorder have a higher risk of cancer-related mortality. Specifically, patients who engaged in psychotherapy within four weeks of their diagnosis had a 21% lower risk of dying from their cancer.
The study focused on various cancer types, including breast, colorectal, prostate, bladder, kidney, and non-small cell lung cancer. It found that those experiencing depression following their diagnosis faced an 11% higher risk of cancer-specific mortality compared to those without depression. One year after diagnosis, 29% of patients with depression had died from their cancer, compared to 21% of those without depression; the five-year survival rates differed as well, with 43% of depressed patients dying versus 35% of their counterparts.
Qiao emphasized the importance of identifying patients who may require mental health care and connecting them with suitable services as soon as possible. Fumiko Chin, a radiation oncologist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, noted that while depression is prevalent among cancer patients, it often goes unrecognized and untreated.