Psychological states, serum markers and survival: associations and predictors of survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma

Abstract

This study sought to determine if there was an association between prognostic-based serum biomarkers, survival, and psychosocial factors in patients with meta-static renal cell carcinoma. Associations were found between psychosocial factors and biomarker levels (hemoglobin with depressive symptoms (r = −0.29), positive affect (r = 0.30), social support (r = 0.19), and perceived stress (r = −0.27); albumin with depressive symptoms (r = −0.19), positive affect (r = 0.22), and social support (r = 0.20); alkaline phosphatase with depressive symptoms (r = 0.21), all p values <0.05. After adjustment for disease-related risk factors, only the associations between positive affect and perceived stress with hemoglobin remained significant (p's < 0.05). Positive affect (HR = 0.90; 95 % CI = 0.83, 0.97; p = 0.009) and depressive symptom total scores (HR = 1.03; 95 % CI = 1.01, 1.06; p = 0.013), and alkaline phosphatase (HR 2.72; 95 % CI = 1.41, 5.24; p = 0.003) were associated with survival. This study suggests that measures of positive and negative psychological outlook may contribute differently to health, well-being, and survival.

Positive Affect and Health: What Do We Know and Where Next Should We Go?

“…Surprisingly, there are few published studies of PA and recurrence, progression, or mortality among people with cancer. In a recent study of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (Prinsloo et al 2015), the PA subscale of the CES-D predicted longer survival. Notably, survival was better for patients who had both high PA and lower depressive symptoms, supporting the importance of looking at both valences together.…”

Eudaimonic well‐being and tumor norepinephrine in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

“…[7][8][9] To the best of our knowledge, the role of positive affect in patients with cancer has been less well characterized. One study found that positive affect was related to biomarkers and survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma, 10 whereas another found detrimental effects of positive affect on inflammatory biomarkers. 11 Other studies have shown that eudaimonic well-being, or experiencing a deeper sense of meaning in life, fulfilling one's potential, and accepting oneself, 12 is distinct from positive affect and may be a stronger predictor of health status.…”

Distress and Quality of Life Among Patients with Advanced Genitourinary Cancers

“…As might be expected, patients diagnosed with metastatic cancer, regardless of type, tend to report high levels of distress, with subsequent impairment in QoL, worse clinical outcomes, and increased health care resource utilization [3,18]. Fear of cancer recurrence/progression is also an important contributor and has been associated with greater distress [19].…”