Patients with chronic depression who are treated for colorectal cancer are much less likely to manage a strong recovery than others, researchers warn today.
These patients are likely to end up confined to bed or to face severe difficulty walking for years after treatment, researchers found.
As many as 20% of patients with colorectal cancer are suffering from depression at the time of diagnosis, according to the research conducted jointly by Southampton University and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Researchers found these patients are 13 times more likely than others to suffer "very poor quality of life" two years after treatment.
The findings have been reported in the journal PLOS One.
Professor Jane Maher, from Macmillan, said the findings showed how cancer patients need individual support.
She said: “This research tells us that having depression has an enormous impact on how people live after their cancer treatment. In fact, it affects their recovery more than whether or not they’ve been diagnosed early. We know that depression and anxiety often go hand in hand with cancer but now we can see the extent to which people are struggling to live with these illnesses.
“Colorectal cancer can have some difficult physical consequences, such as incontinence and sexual difficulties – it’s more than enough for anyone to have to deal with. Mental health issues can be a real barrier to people getting better."
Pre-surgery depression and confidence to manage problems predict recovery trajectories of health and wellbeing in the first two years following colorectal cancer: results from the CREW cohort study. PLOS One 12 May 2016 [abstract]
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