ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S5711

RTT - Patient experience and quality of life

ESTRO 2024

Purpose/Objective:

The incidence of anxiety and depression at the first consultation of radiotherapy is often underreported, especially in Latin American Countries. Diagnosis of this condition is important as it could affect patient understanding and adherence to treatment recommendations. In the present prospective study conducted at a northeastern hospital in Mexico, we aimed to assess the incidence of anxiety and depression symptoms among patients during their first consultation at the radiotherapy department.

Material/Methods:

A total of 100 patients participated in the study. The patient distribution across different primary tumor locations was as follows: Breast (46), Gynecologic (21), Genitourinary (4), Gastrointestinal (8), Hematological (5), Head and Neck (8), other (8). Additionally, 19 patients were of male gender, and 81 females. We utilized the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire and further stratified our findings by gender and the location of the primary tumor.

Results:

For anxiety, 13% of the total patients were in the borderline category and the primary tumor sites with the greatest incidence were: Breast (15%), Gynecologic (10%), Hematological (40%) and Head and Neck (25%). In cases of documented anxiety 23% of the total population was positive with the greatest incidence in: Gynecologic (43%), Hematological (25%), Head and Neck (25%) and Breast (13%). Regarding gender 11% of male patients were borderline and 21% with anxiety while 14% of females were borderline and 23% with anxiety. Regarding depression, the borderline category displayed the following percentages: Gynecologic (24%), Hematological (20%), Head and Neck (13%). In cases of documented depression, the following percentages were recorded: Gynecologic (14%), Hematological (13%), Breast (2%). Also, regarding gender borderline cases, they were more common in females than males (11 vs 5%), but documented cases were more common in males (11 vs 6%).

Conclusion:

Our findings shed light on the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among radiotherapy patients, highlighting variations by tumor location and gender. A patient population especially prone to anxiety and depression was identified as the patients with gynecological tumors. We also identified female patients had a higher incidence from these conditions, but males were more prone to documented depression. Further research and tailored interventions may be necessary to address these psychological health challenges effectively.

Keywords: radiotherapy, depression, anxiety

2637

Digital Poster

Psychosocial interventions for patients with cancer receiving radiotherapy: a systematic review