Weiwei Zhao1,2, Zhenyu Wu3, Jianhua Chen4, Huixun Jia2, Zhe Huang1, Menglei Chen1, Xiaoli Gu1, Minghui Liu1, Zhe Zhang1, Huaping Wang1, Peng Wang2,5, Wenwu Cheng1,2. 1. Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China. 2. Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 3. Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 4. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. 5. Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to investigate the prognostic value of baseline and dynamic changes in anxious emotion in advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care. METHODS: The association between anxious emotion and survival was investigated in a retrospective sample of 377 consecutive advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care from August 2013 to October 2015 and in an extended follow-up study of 106 of those patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxious emotion was 24.93% (94/377) overall, 22.48% (47/209) in men and 27.97% (47/168) in women. Significant associations between baseline anxious emotion and overall survival (OS) were not found in the whole sample or in women. However, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that anxious emotion was an independent prognostic indicator of OS in men (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.811, P = .003). Moreover, findings showed that newly developed anxious emotion was significantly associated with poor OS in all readmitted patients (HR: 5.568, P < .001), in men (HR: 5.104, P = .006) and women (HR: 5.820, P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that anxious emotion, especially dynamic changes in anxious emotion, needs to be monitored in advanced cancer patients; whether targeted interventions would prolong survival requires further studies.
BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to investigate the prognostic value of baseline and dynamic changes in anxious emotion in advanced cancerpatients undergoing palliative care. METHODS: The association between anxious emotion and survival was investigated in a retrospective sample of 377 consecutive advanced cancerpatients receiving palliative care from August 2013 to October 2015 and in an extended follow-up study of 106 of those patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxious emotion was 24.93% (94/377) overall, 22.48% (47/209) in men and 27.97% (47/168) in women. Significant associations between baseline anxious emotion and overall survival (OS) were not found in the whole sample or in women. However, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that anxious emotion was an independent prognostic indicator of OS in men (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.811, P = .003). Moreover, findings showed that newly developed anxious emotion was significantly associated with poor OS in all readmitted patients (HR: 5.568, P < .001), in men (HR: 5.104, P = .006) and women (HR: 5.820, P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that anxious emotion, especially dynamic changes in anxious emotion, needs to be monitored in advanced cancerpatients; whether targeted interventions would prolong survival requires further studies.