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. 2025 Jul 24:12:1603515.
doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1603515. eCollection 2025.

The unseen struggle-depression and associated factors in geriatric cancer patients

Ozlem Dogan  1 , Hayriye Sahinli  2 , Dogan Yazilitas  2 , Selen Kantarci  2
Affiliations

The unseen struggle-depression and associated factors in geriatric cancer patients

Ozlem Dogan et al. Front Med (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of depression and its associations, rather than causal relationships, in patients aged 65 years and older receiving chemotherapy, using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).

Methods: This prospective study was conducted between January 2023 and December 2023 at Ankara Etlik City Hospital, including 501 chemotherapy patients aged 65 years and older. Patients receiving only oral therapy, those under palliative care, those with brain metastases, or those with insufficient cognitive functionality were excluded. Demographic and clinical data were collected from medical records. Depression was assessed using the 15-item Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), with scores ≥5 indicating high depression symptoms.

Results: Among the 501 patients included in the study, 204 (40.7%) were female, with a median age of 69 years (range: 65-84 years). A total of 214 patients (42.7%) had high depressive symptom scores (GDS ≥ 5). A multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the following as independent predictors of depression: being female (odds ratio (OR): 1.481, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.011-2.168, p = 0.04), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 21 (OR: 1.665, 95% CI: 1.081-2.564, p = 0.02), higher pain scores (OR: 1.269, 95% CI: 1.122-1.436, p < 0.001), insomnia (OR: 1.626, 95% CI: 1.109-2.384, p = 0.01), and weak social support (OR: 2.004, 95% CI: 1.046-3.839, p = 0.03).

Conclusion: Our study highlights the high prevalence of depressive symptoms among geriatric cancer patients. In this population, early diagnosis and management of depression, with particular attention to independent risk factors such as pain and insomnia, as well as strengthening social support mechanisms, may be crucial for enhancing quality of life and improving treatment adherence.

Keywords: cancer; depression; geriatrics; insomnia; older adult.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of patient selection and inclusion in the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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