Distress Scores During Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer: Course and Prognostic Factors

Dirk Rades; Cansu Delikanli; Stefan Janssen; Sabine Bohnet; Nathan Y Yu

doi:10.21873/cdp.10257

Distress Scores During Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer: Course and Prognostic Factors

Cancer Diagn Progn. 2023 Sep 3;3(5):577-581. doi: 10.21873/cdp.10257. eCollection 2023 Sep-Oct.

Authors

Dirk Rades¹, Cansu Delikanli¹, Stefan Janssen^{1

2}, Sabine Bohnet³, Nathan Y Yu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
² Medical Practice for Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Hannover, Germany.
³ Department of Pulmonology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
⁴ Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.

Abstract

Background/aim: Cancer treatment can lead to significant distress. We investigated the course of distress during radiotherapy (RT) for lung cancer.

Patients and methods: Data of 159 patients receiving RT for lung cancer were investigated for change of distress scores during RT. Five characteristics were analyzed including age, sex, Karnofsky performance score, intent of RT, and receipt of previous RT. Additional analyses were performed in patients with pre-RT scores ≤5 points.

Results: Mean pre-RT and post-RT distress scores were 5.5 (±2.6) and 4.7 (±2.6), respectively. No characteristic was significantly associated with mean change or increase of distress. In patients with pre-RT scores ≤5 points, non-significantly higher rates of increased distress were found for age ≤64 years, female sex, and Karnofsky performance score 90-100.

Conclusion: Distress is reduced during a course of RT for lung cancer. This may reflect a reduction in anticipatory distress after first-hand experience.

Keywords: Lung cancer; course of distress; distress thermometer; prognostic factors; radiotherapy.