The impact of depression and anxiety on the quality of life in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients in postoperative evaluation

AIMS To evaluate the impact of psychiatric comorbidities on the quality of life of early stage breast cancer subjects, in the first post-surgery week, the prevalence of those psychiatric disorders in this group, the correlation between pain and adjustment disorders and between the STAI-X1 (State Trait Anxiety Inventory 1) and BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) scales and the psychopathological findings. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a clinical study at the Ocological Institute "Ioan Chiricuţă" Cluj-Napoca on a group of 56 patients (mean age 53.51 years old) with nonmetastatic breast cancer, who underwent surgical intervention in the week prior to the psychiatric evaluation. Patients received a complete psychiatric evaluation during their hospitalization. The STAI-X1, BDI, Numeric Rating Scale and QLQ 30 (Quality of Life Questionnaire 30) plus BR 23 (Breast 23) questionnaires were administered. RESULTS The prevalence of adjustment disorders in the group was 28.58%. The psychiatric diagnosis significantly and inversely correlated with the emotional functioning, the cognitive functioning and future perspective. The existence of psychiatric disorders significantly and directly correlated with fatigue, pain, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, arm symptoms and global health status. CONCLUSIONS Depression and anxiety have an important prevalence in the breast cancer population and they significantly alter the quality of life of these patients and caregivers by reducing their functional abilities and by generating a higher level of symptomatology and subjective sufferance.