Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Depression / 17.12.2015
Depression Linked To Worse Prognosis in Breast Cancer Patients
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Ruhi Kanani
Cancer Epidemiology and Population Health
Research Oncology
King's College London
London, UK
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background of this study? What are the main findings?
Response: There is a long history of research investigating the possible association between psychological and physical health. This study is the first to analyse cancer registration information and hospital records of depression for a large group of women with breast cancer in South East England. 77, 173 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2009 were included and followed until the end of 2010. 955 women had a record of depression, 422 before, and 533 in the year after their cancer diagnosis. The results showed that women with a record of depression had a worse overall survival. This was particularly so for those with a new record of depression after the cancer diagnosis, who had a 45% higher risk of death from all causes compared to those who didn’t develop depression after their cancer diagnosis.
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