Psychobiological stress response to a lung cancer diagnosis: a prospective study of patients in Iceland and Sweden ...

• Main Authors: Hardardottir, Hronn, Aspelund, Thor, Fall, Katja, Broström, Erika, Sigurdsson, Baldur B., Cook, Elizabeth, Valdimarsdottir, Heiddis, Fang, Fang, Sloan, Erica K., Lutgendorf, Susan K., Jansson, Christer, Valdimarsdottir, Unnur A.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2023
• Subjects: Medicine; Cell Biology; Immunology; FOS Clinical medicine; Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; Cancer; Science Policy; Mental Health; Hematology; Iceland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24191569; https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Psychobiological_stress_response_to_a_lung_cancer_diagnosis_a_prospective_study_of_patients_in_Iceland_and_Sweden/24191569

A diagnostic work-up leading to a lung cancer diagnosis is a severely stressful experience that may impact tumor progression. Yet, prospective data are scarce on psychological and biological components of stress at the time of lung cancer diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess pre-to-post diagnosis change in psychological distress and urinary excretion of catecholamines in patients with suspected lung cancer. Participants were 167 patients within the LUCASS study, recruited at referral for suspected lung cancer to University Hospitals in Iceland and Sweden. Patients completed questionnaires on perceived distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) before and after diagnosis of lung cancer or a non-malignant origin. A subpopulation of 85 patients also provided overnight urine for catecholamine analysis before and at a median of 24 days after diagnosis but before treatment. A lung cancer diagnosis was confirmed in 123 (73.7%) patients, with a mean age of 70.1 years. Patients diagnosed with ...