Anxiety, depression, and quality of life in metastatic cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors: A 2-center cross-sectional study


Aktepe B., ULAŞLI T., DAMA P. E., ÜNEK İ. T., KARAOĞLU A., Izgor R. B., ...Daha Fazla

Medicine (United States), cilt.105, sa.24, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 105 Sayı: 24
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1097/md.0000000000049285
  • Dergi Adı: Medicine (United States)
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: anxiety, cancer, depression, immunotherapy, quality of life
  • Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer treatment, but their psychological impact remains underexplored. This study evaluated the relationship between emotional distress and quality of life (QoL) among patients undergoing ICI therapy. In this 2-center cross-sectional study, 200 adults with metastatic solid tumors who had received ≥3 ICI cycles were assessed using the Turkish version of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Patients were categorized into high and low QoL groups according to the median global SF-36 score, with a cutoff value of 60.5. Correlation analyses and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with poor QoL. The median age was 61 years; 73% were male, and 60.5% had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 1 to 2. Fifty-two percent of patients had low QoL. HADS-anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and HADS-depression subscale (HADS-D) scores were higher in the low QoL group (11 vs 8; 8 vs 6; both P < .001). Both subscales showed significant negative correlations with all SF-36 domains. In multivariate analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ≥ 1 (odds ratio [OR]: 5.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.61–13.40, P < .001), age ≥ 60 (OR: 2.98, 95% CI: 1.35–6.57, P = .007), ≥2 metastatic sites (OR: 3.62, 95% CI: 1.64–7.98, P = .001), second-line or later therapy (OR: 3.11, 95% CI: 1.23–7.82, P = .016), HADS-A (OR: 3.74, 95% CI: 1.70–8.18, P < .001), and HADS-D (OR: 5.03, 95% CI: 2.32–11.34, P < .001) independently predicted poor QoL. Anxiety and depression are common among ICI-treated patients and independently predict poorer QoL, regardless of clinical factors. Routine psychosocial assessment and early supportive interventions should be integrated into comprehensive immunotherapy care.