[Impact of preanesthetic evaluation on anxiety and depression in cancer patients undergoing surgery.]

In the course of a cancer disease, anxiety (ANX) and depression (DEPR) manifest during the several moments of diagnosis and continue during and after treatment. The surgical treatment may bring severe physical and psychological consequences to the cancer patient. However, the present studies do not discuss the cancer patients' emotional status when they are close to be hospitalized to undergo an anesthetic-surgical procedure. Also, there is no analysis of the impact of the ambulatory preanesthetic evaluation on these patients' anxiety and/or depression. The prospective study aimed at checking the impact of the preanesthetic evaluation on the anxiety and depression levels and prevalence of surgical cancer patients.

Upon approval by the Hospital Ethics Committee on Research, 63 adult patients bearing cancer and undergoing a disease-related surgery were selected and assigned to two groups, their end points being the before (AAPA) or after (DAPA) scale as regards the preanesthetic visit. For this purpose the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scales were applied. The variables analyzed included age, age range, gender, skin color, marital status, education level and present working status, number and percentage of patients experiencing Anxiety / with Depression (HAD > 8) and the HAD-ANX and HAD-DEPR scales scores. In the statistical analysis, a p < 0.05 was regarded as a significant value.

Both groups were homogeneous, as regards socio demographic data. When comparing these groups, a significant difference was noted in the Anxiety prevalence levels (HAD-ANX) between them, whereas the difference in the Depression (HAD-DEPR) levels and prevalence was not noted. The mean of the before and after preanesthetic analysis in both groups was under the cut point, however a significant reduction of the Anxiety scores was noted between the groups. As regards the risk factors analysis, there was a significant difference only in the age range variable (more prevalence of anxiety in patients aged < 60 years old).

The preanesthetic evaluation reduced the patients' anxiety levels and prevalence in this study, but did not impact on the depression levels and its prevalence. The variable 60-year or below age was identified as a risk factor for anxiety.