Prospective study of depression and fatigue in men with advanced prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy.
OBJECTIVE
We prospectively examined the development of depressive symptoms and fatigue among men with locally advanced prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy.


METHODS
Fifty-two men with advanced or recurrent prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive either parenteral leuprolide or oral bicalutamide. Patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at pretreatment baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.


RESULTS
Rates of at least mild depression ranged from 10.4 to 16.3% over the 12 months and were not significantly different at each time point. Mean change in BDI scores from baseline to 6 months for the entire sample was 0.91 (SE = 0.73), and from baseline to 12 months was 0.35 (SE = 0.67). Mean FSS scores increased significantly from baseline (M = 24.43, SD = 11.75) to 6 months (M = 27.93, SD = 13.52) and remained steady at 12 months (M = 27.80, SD = 14.44). There were no significant differences in depression between the two types of hormone therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Hormone therapy does not appear to cause clinically significant changes in depression among men with locally advanced prostate cancer. However, fatigue increased significantly over the study period.
Pirl
William F
WF
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02114, USA. wpirl@partners.org
Greer
Joseph A
JA
Goode
Melissa
M
Smith
Matthew R
MR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000813:Anilides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009570:Nitriles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014105:Tosyl Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D000813:Anilides; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D009570:Nitriles; D014105:Tosyl Compounds; C053541:bicalutamide; D016729:Leuprolide