Non-cancer life stressors contribute to impaired quality of life in ovarian cancer patients.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Diagnosis and treatment for a life threatening illness such as cancer are known to be psychologically impactful. However, little is known about the influence that non-cancer life stressors have on the quality of life (QOL) of ovarian cancer patients. The goal of the present study was to examine associations between non-cancer life stressors and QOL in 123 women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer who were followed prospectively and longitudinally for one year.

METHODS:

Mixed models for repeated measures were used to examine the relationship between life stressors and QOL pre-surgery and one year later, while adjusting for age, cancer stage, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and chemotherapy status (at one year). Prospective associations between QOL pre-surgery and one-year QOL were also examined.

RESULTS:

Number and severity of life stressors were unrelated to QOL of participants before surgery. At one year, however, participants experiencing a greater number of life stressors reported poorer concurrent physical well-being (PWB) (p=0.015), functional well-being (FWB) (p<0.0001), social well-being (SWB) (p=0.0003), and total QOL (p<0.0001). Similar effects were found for life event severity. Finally, experiencing a greater number of life stressors pre-surgery predicted poorer overall QOL one year post-diagnosis (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Non-cancer life stressors can substantially impact long-term QOL of ovarian cancer patients, adjusting for medical variables such as chemotherapy and cancer stage, thus highlighting the importance of evaluating the stress burden of patients in ongoing cancer care.

• Authors: Susan K Lutgendorf, George M Slavich, Koenraad Degeest, Michael Goodheart, David Bender, Premal H Thaker, Frank Penedo, Bridget Zimmerman, Joseph Lucci 3rd, Luis Mendez, Katherine Collins, Anil K Sood
• Journal: Gynecologic oncology (Gynecol Oncol) Vol. 131 Issue 3 Pg. 667-73 (Dec 2013) ISSN: 1095-6859 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24096110 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living (psychology)
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Anxiety (etiology, pathology, psychology)
• Depression (etiology, pathology, psychology)
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Ovarian Neoplasms (psychology, surgery)
• Quality of Life
• Stress, Psychological (pathology, psychology)