Emotional Problems, Quality of Life, and Symptom Burden in Lung Cancer Patients

OBJECTIVES: Lung cancer is associated with greater symptom burden than other cancers, yet little is known about the prevalence of emotional problems and how emotional problems may be related to symptom burden and quality of life in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. This study therefore aimed to identify the patient and disease characteristics of lung cancer patients experiencing emotional problems and to examine how emotional problems relate to quality of life and symptom burden. PARTICIPANTS: 2205 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients who completed questionnaires on emotional problems, quality of life, and symptom burden. RESULTS: Emotional problems at diagnosis were associated with younger age, female gender, current cigarette smoking, current employment, and low Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score. Additionally, strong associations were found between greater emotional problems, lower quality of life, and greater symptom burden. CONCLUSION: Certain characteristics place lung cancer patients at greater risk for emotional problems, which are associated with reduced quality of life and greater symptom burden. Assessment of the presence of emotional problems at the time of lung cancer diagnosis provides the opportunity to offer tailored strategies for managing negative mood, and for improving quality of life and symptom burden management in lung cancer patients.