United States – A recent review of research highlights a significant health concern: women with breast cancer who were also diagnosed with depression had mortality risk of more than three folds higher than women without both diseases. HealthDay also reports that women with breast cancer and clinical depression have their mortality rates 45 percent higher than non-depressed women and much higher than those who have no cancer, too, as reported by HealthDay.
“The presence of breast cancer and depression significantly shortens life, eradicating thousands of years of life expectancy,” Khubchandani said. ”Depression was observed to further lower survival among women with breast cancer and unfortunately, many women fail to access quality care for mental health. ”
Study Findings and Statistics
The study analyzed data from questionnaires completed by 4,700 women aged 45 or older. Of these women, 5% had breast cancer at the time of the survey, and nearly 13% were experiencing depression. These women were followed for approximately eight years.
“Currently, over 4 million American women have breast cancer, and more than 250,000 are being diagnosed each year,” Khubchandani reported. “Sadly, many of these patients experience depression, poor mental health, and reduced quality of life.”
Health Disparities
The research indicated that certain demographics were more prone to having both breast cancer and depression, including women with low income or education, racial and ethnic minorities, and those with other diseases or risky health behaviors.
Call for Comprehensive Care
Based on their findings recently published in the Brain Science journal, the need for a comprehensive mental health services for women with breast cancer cannot be overemphasized. “It [breast cancer] will affect all of us or anyone we know in one lifetime,” Khubchandani made clear. Perhaps they will have poor psychological health or a lower quality of life – this is because we do not have an effective comprehensive health care system for women with cancer, as reported by HealthDay.
Breast cancer treatment has to involve a comprehensive treatment package where both the physical and the psychological health of the patient are considered with the aim of making the patient survive longer and have a better quality life.