Quality of Life Helps Cancer Outcomes
Written by Laurel Geraci
Edited by Sameeha Salman
February 9th, 2023
Edited by Sameeha Salman
February 9th, 2023
Research
It’s no surprise that life for a cancer patient would be harder than life for an average healthy person. But did you know the illness is more than just physical? According to researchers, social disparities and mental health are intrinsically linked–which may seem obvious without further explanation. However, these difficulties are especially significant in the context of a medical environment, where 90% of the kidney patients in this study experienced psychological disorders. Furthermore, the longer the treatment period for patients, the more likely they were to develop serious psychological symptoms (Chawla et al., 2013). What about their demographics make the results so different?
In a study performed by Turkish scientists Türev Demirtaş and Zekeriya Temircan, they found that kidney cancer patients had significantly higher symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression compared to their cancer-free counterparts (2021). The symptoms were even more exacerbated across age, gender, and income, with unemployed/retired females over 50 reporting the lowest scores for mental well-being. The 250 participants all completed sociodemographic tests scanning for age, gender, marital status, education level, income, employment status, and other cancers/chronic diseases in the family. The lower the income for a cancer patient, the more psychological problems they experienced due to limited financial means (Sanfilippo et al., 2014). They also looked at whether the participants were smokers and if they had had surgery procedures done for their cancer treatment. Across the patients, 91.2% had anxiety symptoms, 87.2% had depression symptoms, and 93.6% had stress symptoms. This is undoubtedly due to the overwhelming negative emotions that come with cancer’s long treatment periods, dangerously progressive nature, and the thoughts of one’s own mortality.
For each category, the average patient had moderate symptoms. Furthermore, females had higher levels of depression and anxiety, while males had higher levels of stress (Demirtaş and Temircan, 2021). Lastly, there was a positive correlation between anxiety, depression, and stress levels and whether or not the participants had other cancer patients in their families.
Overall, it seems that in addition to kidney cancer, these patients struggle with preserving their mental well-being and quality of life. This can lead to more negative feelings regarding their outcomes, as well as psychosocial relationships with family and friends. In terms of real relationships, this can be really detrimental to cancer patients who need more social support and a strong safety net than the average person. So if you or someone you know is struggling with a cancer diagnosis–no matter how severe–be sure to reach out to them and know they have your support. For them, you just might be the difference between feeling depressed or having mental stability.