[Anxiety and depression in patients treated for differentiated thyroid microcarcinoma]

Thyroid microcarcinoma is a cancer associated with good prognosis but it may affect patients' quality of life. The purpose of this study is to assess depression and anxiety in patients treated for differentiated thyroid microcarcinoma and to compare them to patients with other cancer stages.

We conducted a cross-sectional observational study between October 2013 and February 2015. The study included adult patients treated for differentiated thyroid cancer. Depression and anxiety were assessed using two quality of life scales, whose translation was validated in Arabic: Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Patients were divided into two groups: thyroid microcarcinoma group and non-microcarcinoma group. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software 16.

The study involved 37 patients treated for differentiated thyroid microcarcinoma and a comparison group of 87 patients treated for other stages of differentiated thyroid cancer. Patients? quality of life in the thyroid microcarcinoma group was better than that of patients with other stages of differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid microcarcinoma was significantly associated with lack of anxiety (p=0.042), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale revealed a positive trend (p value was not significant).

Patients' quality of life in thyroid microcarcinoma group was better than that of patients to with other stages of differentiated thyroid cancer. This can be explained by a non-aggressive treatment (absence of radioactive iodine treatment and lower TSH level).