Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29355901›Full record

ArticleCancer2018

Depressive symptoms predict head and neck cancer survival: Examining plausible behavioral and biological pathways.

Lauren A Zimmaro, Sandra E Sephton, Chelsea J Siwik, Kala M Phillips, Whitney N Rebholz, Helena C Kraemer, Janine Giese-Davis, Liz Wilson, Jeffrey M Bumpous, Elizabeth D Cash

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Trial
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  6. Article
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  10. Review
  11. Patient-Reported Distress in Individuals With Head and Neck Cancer.JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
  13. The role of prehabilitation in HNSCC patients treated with chemoradiotherapy.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Review
  14. Article
  15. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Lauren A ZimmaroDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Sandra E SephtonDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Chelsea J SiwikDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Kala M PhillipsDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Whitney N RebholzDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky.ORCID 0000-0002-6857-3070
Helena C KraemerDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California.
Janine Giese-DavisAlberta Health Services Center Care (Holy Cross Site), Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Liz WilsonJames Graham Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, Kentucky.
Jeffrey M BumpousJames Graham Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, Kentucky.
Elizabeth D CashDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.ORCID 0000-0003-4148-6927

Funding

University of Louisville Cancer Education ProgramR25CA134283 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE · PI HEIN, DAVID W, KIDD, LA CREIS RENEE · 2011 to 2022
$3.1M
NCI NIH HHS R25 CA134283
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHead and neck cancers are associated with high rates of depression, which may increase the risk for poorer immediate and long-term outcomes. Here it was hypothesized that greater depressive symptoms would predict earlier mortality, and behavioral (treatment interruption) and biological (treatment response) mediators were examined.

methodsPatients (n = 134) reported depressive symptomatology at treatment planning. Clinical data were reviewed at the 2-year follow-up.

resultsGreater depressive symptoms were associated with significantly shorter survival (hazard ratio, 0.868; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.819-0.921; P < .001), higher rates of chemoradiation interruption (odds ratio, 0.865; 95% CI, 0.774-0.966; P = .010), and poorer treatment response (odds ratio, 0.879; 95% CI, 0.803-0.963; P = .005). The poorer treatment response partially explained the depression-survival relation. Other known prognostic indicators did not challenge these results.

conclusionsDepressive symptoms at the time of treatment planning predict overall 2-year mortality. Effects are partly influenced by the treatment response. Depression screening and intervention may be beneficial. Future studies should examine parallel biological pathways linking depression to cancer survival, including endocrine disruption and inflammation. Cancer 2018;124:1053-60. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overChemoradiotherapyDepressionDepressive DisorderFemaleHead and Neck NeoplasmsHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CarePrognosisProportional Hazards ModelsYoung Adultdepressionhead and neck cancerresidual tumorsurvival

Identifiers

PMID29355901
PMCPMC5821545

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.