René Bayley-Veloso1,2, Yvette Z Szabo3, Elizabeth Cash1,4,5, Lauren Zimmaro6, Chelsea Siwik1, Goetz Kloecker5, Paul Salmon1, Kathleen van der Gryp1, Sandra E Sephton1,5. 1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. 2. Lexington VA Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. 3. VA VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, Texas, USA. 4. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. 5. James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. 6. Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Promoting health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a primary goal of lung cancer treatment. Trauma history and distress can negatively impact HRQOL. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design examined the associations of trauma history, cancer-specific distress, and HRQOL. SAMPLE/ METHOD: Sixty lung cancer patients completed questionnaires on trauma history including the number and severity of traumatic events experienced. Cancer-specific distress, HRQOL, and depression were also reported. FINDINGS: As hypothesized, trauma history and cancer-specific distress were negatively associated with HRQOL (all r's > -.27). Depression emerged as a confound in the association between cancer-specific distress and HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Retrospectively-reported trauma was linked with poorer HRQOL in lung cancer patients. IMPLICATIONS: Interventions aimed at improving lung cancer patients' HRQOL should consider the possible role of trauma history (both frequency and distress).
PURPOSE: Promoting health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a primary goal of lung cancer treatment. Trauma history and distress can negatively impact HRQOL. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design examined the associations of trauma history, cancer-specific distress, and HRQOL. SAMPLE/ METHOD: Sixty lung cancerpatients completed questionnaires on trauma history including the number and severity of traumatic events experienced. Cancer-specific distress, HRQOL, and depression were also reported. FINDINGS: As hypothesized, trauma history and cancer-specific distress were negatively associated with HRQOL (all r's > -.27). Depression emerged as a confound in the association between cancer-specific distress and HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Retrospectively-reported trauma was linked with poorer HRQOL in lung cancerpatients. IMPLICATIONS: Interventions aimed at improving lung cancerpatients' HRQOL should consider the possible role of trauma history (both frequency and distress).