Development of depression in patients with oropharyngeal cancer: a systematic review

The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) has increased in the Western world. OPC affects quality of life, although the risk of depression in patients with OPC remains unknown. We investigated the risk of developing depression in patients with OPC.

Studies were identified through a systematic search in PubMed and EMBASE following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Four studies comprising 3,736 OPC patients (range, 130-2,497 patients) from the United States (US/SEER and US/Texas), Australia, and the United Kingdom (UK) were included. The studies differed in methodology. The UK study showed that 47% of OPC patients had depressive symptoms compared to 14% of OPC patients with mild, moderate, or severe depression in the Australian study at 12 months after diagnosis. The US/SEER study found a cumulative probability of 19% for developing depression within 5 years after diagnosis, while the US/Texas study found that 15% of the OPC patients had symptoms of major depression after OPC diagnosis but before radiotherapy.

Overall, this study indicates that OPC patients are at risk of developing depression, although studies are heterogenous. Screening for depression among OPC patients should be considered in future treatment regimens.