The chronology of distress, anxiety, and depression in older prostate cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
Current research suggests that older cancer patients report less distress than younger cancer patients. However, this research has generally not teased apart the differences among general distress, anxiety, and depression.


METHODS
We conducted a secondary analysis of merged datasets using cross-sectional data on 716 men with prostate cancer (mean age, 68 +/- 10 years; range, 50-93 years). Approximately half the participants were recruited from doctors' offices throughout the U.S. and the other half were from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York). Participants were asked to complete the Distress Thermometer, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate Quality of Life questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire.


RESULTS
Aging was related to less distress (r = -0.14), less anxiety (r = -0.22), and greater emotional quality of life (r = 0.16). In contrast, aging was associated with greater depressive symptoms in these cancer patients (r = 0.18). The mean depression scores of 5-year cohorts consistently trended upward. The significant association between age and depression remained after controlling for stage of disease, hormone therapy use, time since diagnosis, and social, physical, and functional well-being.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite theoretical and empirical evidence that older cancer patients may cope more effectively than younger cancer patients, depressive symptoms remain an important concern for aging cancer patients, and greater attention to this area is warranted. The increase in depression is in contrast to some findings in the general aging literature, raising the possibility that this trend is unique to older cancer patients.
Nelson
Christian J
CJ
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Seventh Floor, New York, New York 10022, USA. nelsonc@mskcc.org
Weinberger
Mark I
MI
Balk
Eliana
E
Holland
Jimmie
J
Breitbart
William
W
Roth
Andrew J
AJ
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*