Dyspnea, anxiety, body consciousness, and quality of life in patients with lung cancer.
Dyspnea is a common symptom of lung cancer that can impact patient physical, social, and psychological well-being. Study goals were to evaluate quality of life (QOL) and dyspnea in patients with lung cancer and the relationships between QOL, dyspnea, trait anxiety, and body consciousness. Sociodemographic and cancer-related variables (stage, cell type, performance status) were evaluated. One hundred twenty outpatients with stage I-IV lung cancer participated in the study. Patients completed 5 questionnaires assessing QOL, dyspnea, trait anxiety, body consciousness, and pain. Eighty-seven percent of study participants experienced dyspnea. Patients with high dyspnea scores had lower QOL (P = 0.04). Dyspnea was worse in men than in women (P = 0.02), and there was a trend towards older patients reporting more severe dyspnea than younger patients (P = 0.06). There was no difference in dyspnea based on cancer stage, cell type, or performance status. Pain and anxiety scores were higher in patients with high dyspnea (P = 0.02, P = 0.03). Dyspnea was more severe in patients taking opioid analgesics when compared to non-opioids or no pain medications (P = 0.03). No significant association was found between dyspnea, anxiety, and private body consciousness.
Smith
E L
EL
Comprehensive Thoracic Oncology Program, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
Hann
D M
DM
Ahles
T A
TA
Furstenberg
C T
CT
Mitchell
T A
TA
Meyer
L
L
Maurer
L H
LH
Rigas
J
J
Hammond
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety; D001828:Body Image; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012727:Sex Characteristics