Introduction
NSCLC, cancer, Lung cancer, inflammation, lung cancer, depressive, depression
NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER, DISEASE PROGRESSION, SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE, PROLIFERATION, CANCER, LUNG CANCER, INFLAMMATION, LUNG CANCER, NSCLC
Immunotherapy and targeted treatments are yielding significantly longer survival for patients with advanced (stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [Several lines of evidence point to the plausibility of depression influencing disease progression. In the general case, depression assessed at diagnosis is prognostic for mortality in cancer patients [In addition to psychologic aspects, depression’s biologic dysregulation may contribute to disease progression. Lung cancer is a product of a dysfunctional immune system, as evidenced by tobacco/smoking-induced inflammation [Study of the health consequences of depression in lung cancer patients is timely as new therapies come on line and treatment guidelines rapidly change [To do this, biomarkers of inflammation were studied in relationship to depressive symptoms. Systemic inflammatory responses (SIRs)—neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and platelets—are key factors in proliferation, angiogenesis, immunosuppression, and nutritional depletion [Newly diagnosed NSCLC patients (N = 186) enrolled in an observational cohort (NCT03199651) participated. Procedures included routine laboratory work and patient-reported depressive symptom assessment [Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)] [