The Distress Thermometer: Cutoff Points and Clinical Use

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychosocial Oncology
• Cancer Care

Background:

• Psychological distress is common in cancer patients.
• Effective screening tools are needed to identify patients requiring support.
• The Distress Thermometer (DT) is a widely used screening measure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine an optimal cutoff score for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's Distress Thermometer (DT).
• To identify patients experiencing clinically significant psychological distress.
• To examine distress level changes across the cancer treatment trajectory.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of baseline data from a longitudinal study.
• Inclusion of 836 diverse cancer patients from three comprehensive cancer centers.
• Comparison of the DT with the Behavioral Health Status Index using receiver operating characteristic analyses.

Main Results:

• A DT cutoff score of 3 was supported for identifying clinically elevated distress.
• Patients diagnosed within 1-4 weeks prior to assessment reported the highest distress levels.
• The DT proved effective in a large, diverse cancer patient population.

Conclusions:

• A DT cutoff of 3 is recommended for efficient distress screening in cancer care.
• The period within 1-4 weeks post-diagnosis is critical for heightened patient distress.
• Brief distress screening can streamline psychosocial support processes.