Depression after diagnosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer and survival: a pilot study

Major depressive disorder is estimated to occur in 10%-25% of people with cancer, and it has been inconsistently linked to increased mortality.

This pilot study investigates the association of depression and survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Forty-three recently-diagnosed advanced NSCLC patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and were followed prospectively.

Patients with depression had poorer survival. Median survival was four times shorter than those without depression. Controlling for baseline performance status, depression predicted 6-month mortality, but was not significant for overall survival.

Although depression after advanced-NSCLC diagnosis was associated with poorer survival at 6 months, this association was not present for overall survival; however, further research with larger samples should be pursued.