Health care costs of depression in patients diagnosed with cancer

Objective

Depression is common among patients diagnosed with cancer. Patients with cancer and depression use more health care services compared with nondepressed cancer patients. The current study seeks to estimate the added cost of depression in cancer patients in the first year after cancer diagnosis.

Methods

Health care charges were obtained for 2051 depressed and 11 182 nondepressed patients with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, diagnosis of cancer in the 2014 calendar year from the University of California San Diego Healthcare System. The annual health care charges for cancer patients with and without depression were analyzed using generalized linear models with a log‐link function and gamma distribution, covarying for age, sex, race/ethnicity, comorbid diseases, and presence of metastatic disease. Total cost data were broken down into several categories including ambulatory care, emergency department visits, and hospital visits.

Results

Depressed cancer patients had total annual health care charges that were 113% higher than nondepressed cancer patients (B = 0.76; P < .001). The estimated mean charges for depressed patients were $235 337 compared with $110 650 for nondepressed patients. Depressed cancer patients incurred greater charges than nondepressed patients in ambulatory care (B = 0.70; P < .001), emergency department charges (B = 0.31; P < .001), and hospital charges (B = 0.39; P < .001).

Conclusions

Depressed cancer patients incur significantly higher health care charges across multiple cost categories including ambulatory care, emergency department visits, and hospital visits. Future research should investigate if interventions for detecting and treating depression are effective for reducing health care use and costs in cancer patients.

     

Cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2006

Objective:To describe the cancer incidence and mortality rates in 2006 and evaluate the cancer burden in China.Methods:Cancer registration data in 2006 from 34 cancer registries were collected,evaluated and pooled to calculate cancer incidence and mortality rates.The data analyses included mortality to incidence ratio(MI),morphological verification percentage(MV%) and proportion of death certification only(DCO%).Cumulative incidence and mortality rates were calculated using crude data,age-standardized data,and specific data for cancer site,age,sex and area(urban or rural).Results:In 2006,34 registries with qualified registration data covered a total population of 59,567,322(46,558,108 in urban areas and 13,009,214 in rural areas).The crude and age-standardized cancer incidence rates were 273.66 per 100,000 and 190.54 per 100,000,respectively.The crude and age-standardized cancer mortality rates were 175.70 per 100,000 and 117.67 per 100,000,respectively.Cancers of lung,stomach,colon and rectum,liver,and breast in female were the five most common forms of cancer in China,which accounted for 58.99% of all new cancer cases.Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death,followed by stomach cancer,liver cancer,esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer.Conclusion:Cancer is still an important public health issue in China with an increasing disease burden.Specifically,the incidence rates for lung cancer,colorectal cancer and breast cancer were increasing,but those for stomach cancer and esophageal cancer were decreasing.However,age-specific incidence rate remained stable,indicating that the aging population was the major source of the increasing cancer burden.     

Is the incidence of invasive vulvar cancer increasing in the United States?

Objective  

To document incidence rates of vulvar cancer, specifically invasive vulvar cancer, from 1973 to 2004 in the United States.     

A survey of individual preference for colorectal cancer screening technique

Background  

Due to the low participation in colorectal cancer screening, public preference for colorectal cancer screening modality was determined.     

Adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Recommendations and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based guidelines that aim to reduce cancer risk. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating associations between a score for adherence to the 2018 Cancer Prevention Recommendations and cancer risk was conducted.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for studies published to November 28, 2022. In meta-analysis, the estimated risk ratios and 95% CIs for adherence score as a continuous (per 1-point increment) and categorical (highest vs. lowest score category) variable using random-effects models were estimated.

Results

Eighteen studies (11 cohort; seven case-control) were included investigating incidence of breast (n = 7), colorectal (n = 5), prostate (n = 2), lung (n = 2), pancreatic (n = 1), endometrial (n = 1), unknown primary cancer (n = 1), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n = 1), and overall (any) cancer (n = 1). The summary risk ratio per 1-point increment in adherence score was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85–0.93; I² = 76.5%; n = 7) for breast cancer, 0.88 (95% CI, 0.84–0.91; I² = 26.2%; n = 4) for colorectal cancer, and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.86–0.98, I² = 66.0%; n = 2) for lung cancer. There were no significant associations with prostate or other cancers. Meta-analysis results using categorical adherence score variables were consistent with these findings.

Conclusions

Greater adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Recommendations was associated with lower risk of breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. Future studies investigating associations with risk of other forms of cancer are warranted.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022313327.     

Factors related to second cancer screening practice in disease-free cervical cancer survivors

Background  

Although cancer survivors are at increased risk for developing cancers at other sites, little is known about the current status of second cancer (cancers other than the index cancer) screening practices and related factors in cervical cancer survivors.     

Body fat distribution and breast cancer risk: findings from the Nigerian breast cancer study

Purpose  

The relationship between overall obesity and breast cancer risk has been well recognized, but the role of central obesity in breast cancer development is uncertain.     

Cancer survival among children of Turkish descent in Germany 1980–2005: a registry-based analysis

Background  

Little is known about the effect of migrant status on childhood cancer survival. We studied cancer survival among children of Turkish descent in the German Cancer Childhood Registry, one of the largest childhood cancer registries worldwide.     

Dietary patterns and the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in a German case–control study

Objective  

Dietary patterns have been inconsistently associated with breast cancer risk. We assessed dietary patterns in association with postmenopausal breast cancer risk using an exploratory approach.     

Television viewing time and weight gain in colorectal cancer survivors: a prospective population-based study

Objective  

To investigate the prospective relationships between television viewing time and weight gain in the 3 years following colorectal cancer diagnosis for 1,867 colorectal cancer survivors (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 18.5 kg/m²).     

Pilot study of PD-0325901 in previously treated patients with advanced melanoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer

Purpose  

To assess further the tolerability and preliminary antitumor activity of PD-0325901 in previously treated patients with advanced melanoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer.     

The effect of an attachment‐oriented couple intervention for breast cancer patients and partners in the early treatment phase: A randomised controlled trial

Objective

Patients and partners both cope individually and as a dyad with challenges related to a breast cancer diagnosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a psychological attachment‐oriented couple intervention for breast cancer patients and partners in the early treatment phase.

Methods

A randomised controlled trial including 198 recently diagnosed breast cancer patients and their partners. Couples were randomised to the Hand in Hand (HiH) intervention in addition to usual care or to usual care only. Self‐report assessments were conducted for both patients and partners at baseline, postintervention (5 months), and follow‐up (10 months), assessing cancer‐related distress, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and dyadic adjustment. Patients' cancer‐related distress was the primary outcome.

Results

Cancer‐related distress decreased over time in both patients and partners, but the intervention did not significantly affect this decrease at postintervention (P = .08) or follow‐up (P = .71). A significant positive effect was found on dyadic adjustment at follow‐up for both patients (P = .04) and partners (P = .02).

Conclusions

There was no significant effect of the HiH intervention cancer‐related distress. The results suggest that most couples can cope with cancer‐related distress in the context of usual care. However, the positive effect on dyadic adjustment implies that the HiH intervention benefitted both patients and partners. Future studies should investigate how to integrate a couple focus in usual cancer care to improve dyadic coping in the early treatment phase.

     

Estimation of cancer incidence and mortality attributable to smoking in China

Background  

Tobacco smoking, as a cause of cancer, is common in China. Few studies have been conducted to assess the burden of tobacco-related cancer in the Chinese population.     

Intention to receive cancer screening in Native Americans from the Northern Plains

Background  

Native Americans are disproportionately affected by cancer morbidity and mortality. This study examined intention to receive cancer screening in a large sample of Native Americans from the Northern Plains, a region with high cancer mortality rates.     

What factors do cancer patients believe contribute to the development of their cancer? (New South Wales,Australia)

Objective  

To analyze Australian cancer patients’ beliefs about factors contributing to the development of their cancer.     

Comparison of physical activity levels between cancer survivors and non-cancer participants in the 2009 BRFSS

Introduction  

The purpose of this study is to compare physical activity (PA) levels between cancer survivors and those without cancer diagnosis (non-cancer participants).     

Quality of life in cancer patients with pain in Beijing

Objective:To investigate the quality of life(QOL) of cancer pain patients in Beijing,and explore the effect of cancer pain control on patients’ QOL.Methods:Self-developed demographic questionnaire,numeric rating scale and SF-36 questionnaire were used together among 643 cancer pain patients in 28 Grade 2nd to 3rd general hospitals and 2 Grade 3rd cancer hospitals.Results:The SF-36 eight dimensions scores ranged from 31.75 to 57.22 in these cancer pain patients.The t test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to compare the QOL between pain controlled(PC) group and pain uncontrolled(PUC) group,and the results showed that patients in PC group had the higher QOL scores in 6 areas of SF-36(P<0.05).Binary logistic regression results found that pain management satisfaction scores(P<0.001),family average personal monthly income(P=0.029),current receiving chemotherapy(P=0.009) and cancer stage(P<0.001) were the predictors to cancer pain controlled results.Conclusion: Cancer patients with pain in Beijing had poor QOL. Pain control will improve the QOL of cancer pain patients.     

Are rural Ohio Appalachia cancer survivors needs different than urban cancer survivors?

Introduction  

Limited information is available about rural cancer survivors’ needs and if they differ from urban cancer survivors.     

Impact of PINCH expression on survival in colorectal cancer patients

Background  

The adaptor protein PINCH is overexpressed in the stroma of several types of cancer, and is an independent prognostic marker in colorectal cancer. In this study we further investigate the relationship of PINCH and survival regarding the response to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer.