Prognostic value of depressive coping and depression in survival of lung cancer patients

The aim of this investigation was to determine whether depressive coping and depression predict shorter survival among lung cancer patients. We conducted a prospective study using an inception cohort with a 3-5-year follow-up. The sample consisted of n = 59 (of n = 69 invited to participate) patients (mean age 65 years, S.D. = 9.7; 81% male) newly diagnosed with small cell lung cancer or non-small cell lung cancer Stage III or IV who were scheduled for later chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy at a tertiary care centre. Patients were investigated after their diagnosis and before the beginning of treatment. Depressive coping and depression were assessed using standardized self-report questionnaires (Freiburg Questionnaire of Coping with Illness; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Depressive coping was associated with shorter survival (hazard ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.93, p = 0.034) after adjusting for age, sex, stage, histological classification, and Karnofsky performance status but not treatment type, using the Cox proportional hazards regression. Depression, however, was not linked with survival (hazard ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.98-1.13, p = 0.18). To conclude, the prognostic value of depressive coping was partially confirmed, warranting further examination of the robustness of this relationship.