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Noncancer life stresses in newly diagnosed cancer

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Abstract

Goals of work

Noncancer life stresses affect psychosocial stress processes and have an impact on quality of life (QOL) of the patients. However, investigating life stresses in cancer is a recent development. We evaluated the life stresses of newly diagnosed melanoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer patients in detail and investigated their impact on QOL outcomes after localized cancer diagnosis.

Materials and methods

Life change events from the previous year (negative events, positive events, total impact of events, impacts of the negative events, and impacts of loss events) and chronic ongoing life strains were measured with the Life Experience Survey and the Chronic Strains Survey in newly diagnosed patients 3 months after the diagnosis. Also, perceived symptoms and QOL were measured, and in melanoma and breast cancer, these were repeated up to 2 years later.

Results

Noncancer life stress was common in newly diagnosed cancer patients: Both acute and chronic life stresses were experienced by four-fifths. Loss events (fateful negative events or social loss events) were reported by one-third. Many patients had a preceding chronic illness. Along with the cancer and treatment stresses, the noncancer life stresses predicted poorer QOL, particularly psychological and depressive symptoms. Different life stresses predicted slightly different domains of QOL, and depressive symptoms tended to be predicted by several kinds of life stresses. Baseline life stresses had impact also on later QOL in breast cancer.

Conclusions

Noncancer life stresses are common among newly diagnosed cancer patients and have impact on QOL, and thus they should be taken into account in cancer care. Screening for noncancer life stresses may offer means to enhance QOL outcomes in cancer.

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Notes

  1. From June 1995 to May 1998.

  2. From January to September 1996.

  3. From July 2002 to May 2003.

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Acknowledgments

The Finnish Cancer Foundation, the Competitive research funding of the Pirkanmaa hospital district, the Pirkanmaa Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, and the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation have supported this project financially.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Medical School, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Ulla-Sisko Lehto, Anna Väkevä & Pirkko Kellokumpu-Lehtinen

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Markku Ojanen

  3. Department of Health and Functional Capacity, National Public Health Institute KTL, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300, Helsinki, Finland

    Ulla-Sisko Lehto & Arpo Aromaa

  4. Department of Oncology, Tampere University Hospital, 33521, Tampere, Finland

    Pirkko Kellokumpu-Lehtinen

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  1. Ulla-Sisko Lehto
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  2. Markku Ojanen
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  3. Anna Väkevä
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  4. Arpo Aromaa
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  5. Pirkko Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
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Correspondence to Ulla-Sisko Lehto.

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Lehto, US., Ojanen, M., Väkevä, A. et al. Noncancer life stresses in newly diagnosed cancer. Support Care Cancer 16, 1231–1241 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0410-8

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