Patients with breast cancer at long-term increased risk of first depression

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, women with breast cancer are at an increased long-term risk for developing first depression.

The researchers sought to investigate the risk of first depression by determining the incidence of hospital contact as a result of severe episodes of depression and the incidence of antidepressant use. Researchers used Danish national registries to identify nearly 2 million women no diagnosis of cancer or a major psychiatric disorder.

Researchers followed these patients from 1998 and 2011. In the 13-year time period, nearly 45,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Within 1 year after cancer diagnosis, hospital contact had a rate ratio of 1.70 (95% CI, 1.41 - 2.05) and antidepressant use had a rate ratio of 3.09 (95% CI, 2.95 - 3.22). At 3 and 8 years, both rate ratios were significantly elevated.

The researchers also identified various factors associated with the use of antidepressants, including basic and vocational education levels, comorbidity, living alone, node-positive disease, and older age, which the researchers recommend clinicians be aware of.