Psychiatric-Oncologic Interferences in the Respiratory Pathology of Lung Cancer

Abstract

Lung cancer is the largest contributor to new cancer diagnoses and cancer deaths worldwide. Respiratory symptomatology is common in the context of this diagnosis: cough, expectoration, hemoptysis, chest pain, dyspnea, fever, dysphonia, etc. But this symptomatology can be accentuated in the context of the psychological reaction to the diagnosis, which is very common in the oncologic context. The physical symptoms occurring in the oncologic context are assessed in this study by the IPOS questionnaire, which assesses at the same time emotional symptoms as well as communication and practical problems. Psychiatric medication is administered as soon as possible after diagnosis and reduces physical symptoms, irrespective of their organic, affective or mixed etiology. In this study we attempt to prove the decrease in respiratory symptomatology in the context of adding psychiatric medication to specific oncologic treatment. The improvement in respiratory symptoms leads to improvement in affective state, as scored by HAM-D17, CGI-S and CGI-I, and decrease in psychomotor agitation. The aim of this study is to try to change the therapeutic protocols used in oncology, in order to introduce psychiatric medication as quickly as possible, regardless of the amplitude of physical and affective symptoms, with the purpose of improving the oncologic patient’s condition.

Keywords

• respiratory deficit
• palliation
• lung cancer