Changes in depression symptoms tied to lung cancer survival
Conversely, when depression symptoms lift, survival tends to improve, researchers found. "Surprisingly, depression remission was associated with a mortality benefit as they had the same mortality as never-depressed patients," said lead author Donald R. Sullivan of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. "This study cannot prove causation -- but it lends support to the idea that surveillance for depression symptoms and treatment for depression could provide significant impact on patient outcomes, perhaps even a mortality benefit," he told Reuters Health by email. The researchers followed more than 1,700 patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer between 2003 and 2005 who had completed an eight-item depression assessment at diagnosis and again 12 months later. Almost 40 percent, 681 people, had depressive symptoms at diagnosis and 14 percent, 105 people, developed new-onset symptoms during treatment. Overall, those who were depressed at the begin...