Oral Presentation COSA-IPOS Joint Scientific Meeting 2012

Predictors of depression, anxiety and quality of life in patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy (#260)

Kelly Chipperfield 1 , Sue Burney 2 , Jane Fletcher 2 , Jeremy Millar 3 , Robin Smith 3 , Tracy Oh 3 , Mark Frydenberg 4 , Joanne Brooker 1 2
  1. School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Cabrini-Monash Psycho-Oncology, Cabrini Institute, Melbourne, Australia
  3. William Buckland Radiotherapy Centre (WBRC), Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia
  4. Urology, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia

Aim: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on levels of depression, anxiety and quality of life (QoL) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and to examine the relationship between meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines of Australia (NPAGA) and the presence and severity of psychological sequelae associated with ADT. A secondary purpose was to examine the predictors of depression, anxiety and QoL among patients with PCa. 
Method: A questionnaire was administered to patients with PCa attending for treatment at the Alfred, Cabrini and Latrobe Regional Hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, during 2010 and 2011. Measures included: The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Prostate (FACT-P); and socio-demographic items. Patients aged between 40 and 80 years and English speaking, who had received radiotherapy treatment for their PCa between 9 and 30 months ago, were mailed the questionnaire. 
Results: Long-term use of ADT was associated with poorer QoL and psycho-social wellbeing. Those meeting NPAGA had significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety and improved QoL compared to those not meeting NPAGA. Logistic regression analyses showed that the odds of reporting depression and anxiety scores of clinical significance, increased with younger age and number of comorbid conditions. Not meeting NPAGA also increased the likelihood of caseness for depression. Multiple regression analyses revealed that comorbid conditions and treatment category predicted poorer QoL, while meeting NPAGA positively predicted QoL.
Conclusions: These findings support the utility of physical activity in rehabilitation programs for men undergoing ADT. For clinicians to be aware of the effects of ADT treatment on QoL in recommending treatment based on the patient’s age and risk of disease progression is highlighted.