Adjuvant psychological therapy for patients with cancer: a prospective randomised trial

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of adjuvant psychological therapy on the quality of life of patients with cancer.

Design: Prospective randomised controlled trial comparing the quality of life of patients receiving psychological therapy with that of patients receiving no therapy, measured before therapy, at eight weeks, and at four months of follow up.

Setting: CRC Psychological Medicine Group of Royal Marsden Hospital.

Patients: 174 patients aged 18-74 attending hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of malignant disease, a life expectancy of at least 12 months, or scores on various measures of psychological morbidity above previously defined cut off points.

Intervention: Adjuvant psychological therapy, a brief, problem focused, cognitive-behavioural treatment programme specifically designed for the needs of individual cancer patients.

Main outcome measures: Hospital anxiety and depression scale, mental adjustment to cancer scale, Rotterdam symptom checklist, psychosocial adjustment to illness scale.

Results: 156 (90%) patients completed the eight week trial; follow up data at four months were obtained for 137 patients (79%). At eight weeks, patients receiving therapy had significantly higher scores than control patients on fighting spirit and significantly lower scores on helplessness, anxious preoccupation, and fatalism; anxiety; psychological symptoms; and on orientation towards health care. These differences indicated improvement in each case. At four months, patients receiving therapy had significantly lower scores than controls on anxiety; psychological symptoms; and psychological distress. Clinically, the proportion of severely anxious patients dropped from 46% at baseline to 20% at eight weeks and 20% at four months in the therapy group and from 48% to 41% and to 43% respectively among controls. The proportion of patients with depression was 40% at baseline, 13% at eight weeks, and 18% at four months in the therapy group and 30%, 29%, and 23% respectively in controls.

Conclusions: Adjuvant psychological therapy produces significant improvement in various measures of psychological distress among cancer patients. The effect of therapy observed at eight weeks persists in some but not all measures at four month follow up.