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Anxiety, depression and quality of life in colorectal cancer patients

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Abstract

Background

Few studies have examined psychological distress and its relationship with quality of life (QL) dimensions in colorectal cancer patients.

Methods

One hundred and twenty-eight outpatients were given psychological tests for anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS) and QL The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) on the same occasion. The association between the patients' emotional function (EF) scoring on EORTC QLQ-C30 and their HADS scores was analyzed by multiple linear regression.

Results

Statistically significant negative relationships were found between EF and HADS-A (anxiety), HADS-D (depression), and HADS-T (total score), respectively, with the highest correlation coefficient being for HADS-A. However, HADS-D was significantly more highly correlated than HADS-A to other QL dimensions, and depression was more highly correlated than anxiety with reduced QL.

Conclusion

The EF dimension of the EORTC QLQ-C30 predominantly assesses anxiety. Depression has a stronger impact on the global QL of patients than anxiety; therefore, the use of an additional instrument is recommended for the assessment of depression in outpatients with colorectal cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Second Department of Surgery, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8666, Japan

    Akira Tsunoda, Kentaro Nakao, Kenshi Hiratsuka, Naokuni Yasuda, Miki Shibusawa & Mitsuo Kusano

Authors
  1. Akira Tsunoda
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  2. Kentaro Nakao
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  3. Kenshi Hiratsuka
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  4. Naokuni Yasuda
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  5. Miki Shibusawa
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  6. Mitsuo Kusano
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Correspondence to Akira Tsunoda.

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Tsunoda, A., Nakao, K., Hiratsuka, K. et al. Anxiety, depression and quality of life in colorectal cancer patients. Int J Clin Oncol 10, 411–417 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-005-0524-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-005-0524-7

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