Psychological and mood disturbance associated with the diagnosis and treatment of testis cancer and other malignancies

Abstract

Eighty‐seven men with testis cancer (TC) and 35 men with other cancers (OC) completed measures of mood (Profile of Mood States) and of personality and psychopathology (Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory). Effects of primary disease, phase of diagnosis and treatment, locoregional vs. cytotoxic treatment, age, and marital status on these measures were examined. TC patients appeared more distressed during treatment, particularly during cytotoxic as compared to locoregional treatment, than before or after treatment, and more distressed than OC patients. Being married appeared to buffer the stress of cancer and its treatment. Although treatment, particularly cytotoxic therapy, appeared to result in transient distress, results did not offer strong evidence that cancer and its treatment typically precipitate severe psychopathology.

A systematic review of quantitative observational studies investigating psychological distress in testicular cancer survivors

“…Nine good, 8 fair, and 2 poor studies evaluated correlates of anxiety. Associations between anxiety and treatment type were consistently nonsignificant in 5 good, 2 fair, and 1 poor studies. One fair study found anxiety was more prevalent in TC survivors treated with 5 or more chemotherapy cycles, but this may be due to the sample having recurrent or refractory disease, which in itself may be anxiety provoking.…”

“…Consistently absent (ie, nonsignificant) associations were found between depression and treatment type (6 good and 6 of 7 fair/poor studies) and time since diagnosis/treatment (4 of 5 good studies), although a single good study found depression decreased slightly in the first year post‐orchidectomy then plateaued …”

“…Similar prevalence estimates emerged from good studies using other measures (13% and 17%). Distress prevalence estimates from fair and poor studies were more variable, ranging from 23% (eg, Malec et al) to 55% (eg, Bissett et al). These data suggest that approximately 1 in 7 TC survivors experiences clinically significant distress.…”

Testicular germ cell tumor: Short and long-term side effects of treatment among survivors

“…Therefore, subsequent cardiovascular events are higher compared with the general population (12). Psychological disturbances, emotional liabilities, physical and/or cognitive tiredness, and depression are common long-term complaints (13). Long-term close follow-up due to the possibility of recurrence expose such patients to anxiety and uncertainty (13).…”

“…Psychological disturbances, emotional liabilities, physical and/or cognitive tiredness, and depression are common long-term complaints (13). Long-term close follow-up due to the possibility of recurrence expose such patients to anxiety and uncertainty (13). Understandably, all these events adversely affect the quality of life, which is deteriorated in >1/3 of patients (14).…”