Few survivors of head and neck cancer utilizing mental health services despite depression

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Depression;  Mental Health
Article Date: 15 Aug 2013 - 13:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Few survivors of head and neck cancer utilizing mental health services despite depression

Mental health services appear to be underutilized despite depression among survivors of head and neck cancer, according to a study published Online First by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

The long-term physical effects of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer have been well described but few studies have examined psychosocial functioning, including depression, among patients, according to the study background.

Allen M. Chen, M.D., of the University of California, Davis, and now of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues examined the prevalence of self-reported depression among survivors of head and neck cancer returning for follow-up after RT treatment.

The study included 211 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, who had been treated and were disease-free with at least one year of follow-up. A questionnaire was used to analyze rates of depression.

The proportion of patients who reported their mood as "somewhat depressed" or "extremely depressed" was 17 percent, 15 percent and 13 percent at one, three and five years, respectively. Among the patients who reported their mood as either "somewhat depressed" or "extremely depressed," at one, three and five years, respectively, the proportion of patients using antidepressants was 6 percent, 11 percent and 0 percent, respectively. The proportion of patients actively undergoing or seeking psychotherapy and/or counseling was 3 percent, 6 percent and 0 percent, respectively, according to study results.

"Despite a relatively high rate of depression among patients with head and neck cancer in the post-RT setting, mental health services are severely underutilized," the study concludes.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our cancer / oncology section for the latest news on this subject.

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online August 15, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2013.4072.

JAMA

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

JAMA. "Few survivors of head and neck cancer utilizing mental health services despite depression." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 15 Aug. 2013. Web.
15 Aug. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Few survivors of head and neck cancer utilizing mental health services despite depression'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam). We reserve the right to amend opinions where we deem necessary.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Ovarian reserve affects early menopause after cancer treatment and young, female cancer survivors' quality of life long after treatment

Main Category: Ovarian Cancer
Also Included In: Fertility
Article Date: 14 Aug 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Ovarian reserve affects early menopause after cancer treatment and young, female cancer survivors' quality of life long after treatment

A new study led by a University of Colorado Cancer Center member recently published in the journal reveals that in young, female cancer survivors, quality of life is significantly impaired long after treatment. The study compared 59 cancer survivors to 66 healthy controls and found that, as expected, cancer survivors showed higher stress and anxiety than the general population. Of note, survivors reported particular stress around the issues of sexual problems, physical pain and fatigue. The study also measured hormone levels reflecting woman's number of eggs, and showed that among young, female cancer survivors, those with reassuring fertility status were likely to report higher quality of life once treatment ends.

"What it came down to was a woman's opinion of her own fertility status after cancer treatment," says Laxmi Kondapalli, MD, MSCE, director of the CU Cancer Center Oncofertility Program.

See, there was one intervening step between normal ovarian reserve and quality of life: the regularity of a woman's menstrual cycle after undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment for cancer. All women lose a certain number of eggs during these treatments, but those with higher baseline reserve are more likely to withstand the treatment with their overall fertility unaffected. Women with lower ovarian reserve at baseline are more likely to have impaired fertility after treatment.

"But it wasn't the lab and ultrasound markers of ovarian reserve alone that affected quality of life," Kondapalli says. "It was a woman's opinion of her fertility status based on her menstrual cycle that had the most impact on quality of life."

Following cancer treatment, many women think that if they maintain regular menstrual cycles, their fertility is preserved, and that if their menstrual cycles become irregular, then they are likely infertile due to treatment.

"This isn't necessarily the case, because we are finding that menstrual cyclicity is a poor predictor of fertility status in these young, female cancer survivors," Kondapalli says. "Survivors may be falsely reassured if they resume normal periods, or they may be unnecessarily stressed if they don't get regular periods after cancer treatment."

According to Kondapalli, women with high ovarian reserve are less likely to experience symptoms of early menopause after cancer treatment. And it is these symptoms that go on to influence young patients' quality of life.

"I think what our study demonstrates is that clearly there are many components that impact a survivor's quality of life after cancer treatment. Although objective markers of ovarian reserve play an important role, a woman's perception of her own fertility status was more influential in her overall quality of life," Kondapalli says.

Understanding the different factors involved with quality of life in this population may help identify ways to manage late effects of treatment and improve comprehensive survivorship care.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our ovarian cancer section for the latest news on this subject.

Supported by NIH T32 HD007440 and NIH 5K12HD001271-12

Quality of life in female cancer survivors: is it related to ovarian reserve?

Laxmi A. Kondapalli, Katherine E. Dillon, Mary D. Sammel… in Quality of Life Research (2013)

University of Colorado Denver

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

University of Colorado Denver. "Ovarian reserve affects early menopause after cancer treatment and young, female cancer survivors' quality of life long after treatment." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 14 Aug. 2013. Web.
14 Aug. 2013. APA
University of Colorado Denver. (2013, August 14). "Ovarian reserve affects early menopause after cancer treatment and young, female cancer survivors' quality of life long after treatment." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/264749.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Ovarian reserve affects early menopause after cancer treatment and young, female cancer survivors' quality of life long after treatment'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam). We reserve the right to amend opinions where we deem necessary.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here