Genetic Risk For Depression and Quality of Life in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genetics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients experience significant distress.
• Longitudinal studies on biopsychosocial factors influencing Quality of Life (QoL) in HNC are limited.
• Genetic predisposition to depression is an understudied factor in HNC survivorship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors present at diagnosis that predict QoL at 3 months post-treatment in newly diagnosed HNC patients.
• To evaluate the association between a polygenic risk score for depression (PRS-D) and QoL outcomes.
• To explore the role of sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial factors in HNC patient QoL.

Main Methods:

• Prospective longitudinal study with 3-month follow-up.
• 1464 participants with HNC were assessed using clinical interviews and self-administered measures.
• A conceptual model including PRS-D, sociodemographics, medical variables, and psychosocial factors was tested.

Main Results:

• Higher PRS-D was associated with lower QoL at 3 months (B=-4.71).
• Other predictors of QoL included major depressive disorder, suicidal ideation, living situation, smoking history, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy dose.
• Factors like living with someone were associated with better QoL.

Conclusions:

• Genetic predisposition to depression predicts QoL and function post-treatment in HNC patients.
• Pre-treatment genetic profiling could identify at-risk individuals for targeted interventions.
• Depression management is crucial for improving HNC patient outcomes.