TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mehnert, Anja
A1  - Koch, Uwe
A1  - Schulz, Holger
A1  - Wegscheider, Karl
A1  - Weis, Joachim
A1  - Faller, Hermann
A1  - Keller, Monika
A1  - Brähler, Elmar
A1  - Härter, Martin
T1  - Prevalence of mental disorders, psychosocial distress and need for psychosocial support in cancer patients – study protocol of an epidemiological multi-center study
N2  - Background

Empirical studies investigating the prevalence of mental disorders and psychological distress in cancer patients have gained increasing importance during recent years, particularly with the objective to develop and implement psychosocial interventions within the cancer care system. Primary purpose of this epidemiological cross-sectional multi-center study is to detect the 4-week-, 12-month-, and lifetime prevalence rates of comorbid mental disorders and to further assess psychological distress and psychosocial support needs in cancer patients across all major tumor entities within the in- and outpatient oncological health care and rehabilitation settings in Germany.

Methods/Design

In this multicenter, epidemiological cross-sectional study, cancer patients across all major tumor entities will be enrolled from acute care hospitals, outpatient cancer care facilities, and rehabilitation centers in five major study centers in Germany: Freiburg, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Leipzig and Würzburg. A proportional stratified random sample based on the nationwide incidence of all cancer diagnoses in Germany is used. Patients are consecutively recruited in all centers. On the basis of a depression screener (PHQ-9) 50% of the participants that score below the cutoff point of 9 and all patients scoring above are assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for Oncology (CIDI-O). In addition, all patients complete validated questionnaires measuring emotional distress, information and psychosocial support needs as well as quality of life.

Discussion

Epidemiological data on the prevalence of mental disorders and distress provide detailed and valid information for the estimation of the demands for the type and extent of psychosocial support interventions. The data will provide information about specific demographic, functional, cancer- and treatment-related risk factors for mental comorbidity and psychosocial distress, specific supportive care needs and use of psychosocial support offers.
KW  - metaanalysis
KW  - depression
KW  - survivors
KW  - care
KW  - sample
KW  - instrument
KW  - quality-of-life
KW  - generalized anxiety disorder
KW  - cooperative-oncology-group
KW  - decision making
Y1  - 2012
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-153296
VL  - 12
IS  - 70
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kuon, Jonas
A1  - Blasi, Miriam
A1  - Unsöld, Laura
A1  - Vogt, Jeannette
A1  - Mehnert, Anja
A1  - Alt-Epping, Bernd
A1  - Oorschot, Birgitt van
A1  - Sistermanns, Jochen
A1  - Ahlborn, Miriam
A1  - Ritterbusch, Ulrike
A1  - Stevens, Susanne
A1  - Kahl, Christoph
A1  - Ruellan, Anne
A1  - Matthias, Kathrin
A1  - Kubin, Thomas
A1  - Stahlhut, Kerstin
A1  - Heider, Andrea
A1  - Lordick, Florian
A1  - Thomas, Michael
T1  - Impact of molecular alterations on quality of life and prognostic understanding over time in patients with incurable lung cancer: a multicenter, longitudinal, prospective cohort study
JF  - Supportive Care in Cancer
N2  - Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate changes over time in quality of life (QoL) in incurable lung cancer patients and the impact of determinants like molecular alterations (MA).

Methods
In a prospective, longitudinal, multicentric study, we assessed QoL, symptom burden, psychological distress, unmet needs, and prognostic understanding of patients diagnosed with incurable lung cancer at the time of the diagnosis (T0) and after 3 (T1), 6 (T2) and 12 months (T3) using validated questionnaires like FACT-L, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Distress Thermometer (DT), PHQ-4, SCNS-SF-34, and SEIQoL.

Results
Two hundred seventeen patients were enrolled, 22 (10%) with reported MA. QoL scores improved over time, with a significant trend for DT, PHQ-4, and SCNS-SF-34. Significant determinants for stable or improving scores over time were survival > 6 months, performance status at the time of diagnosis, and presence of MA. Patients with MA showed better QoL scores (FACT-L at T1 104.4 vs 86.3; at T2 107.5 vs 90.0; at T3 100.9 vs 92.8) and lower psychological distress (NCCN DT at T1 3.3 vs 5; at T2 2.7 vs 4.5; at T3 3.7 vs 4.5; PHQ-4 at T1 2.3 vs 4.1; at T2 1.7 vs 3.6; at T3 2.2 vs 3.6), but also a worsening of the scores at 1 year and a higher percentage of inaccurate prognostic understanding (27 vs 17%) compared to patients without MA.

Conclusion
Patients with tumors harboring MA are at risk of QoL deterioration during the course of the disease. Physicians should adapt their communication strategies in order to maintain or improve QoL.
KW  - lung cancer
KW  - quality of life
KW  - molecular alterations
KW  - prognostic awareness
Y1  - 2022
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-308211
SN  - 0941-4355
SN  - 1433-7339
VL  - 30
IS  - 4
ER  -