Risk of major depressive disorder in adolescent and young adult cancer patients in Japan - akechI 2022

The objective was to evaluate the probability of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients in Japan and identify the risk factors for MDD. The study used a huge claims database in Japan. Patients were aged 15–39, newly diagnosed with cancer in 2012–2017 and eligible for a 12-month follow-up. Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute hazard ratios (H.R.) and 95% confidence interval (C.I.) for MDD in AYA cancer patients against age-, sex-, and working status-matched cancer-free controls. AYA cancer patients were subgrouped to identify MDD risk variables. Analysis included 3559 AYA cancer patients and 35,590 matched controls. Cancer adolescents and young adult patients showed a three-fold greater risk for MDD (H.R., 3.12; 95% C.I., 2.64 to 3.70). Multiple cancer classifications, including metastatic cancer (H.R. 6.73; 95% C.I., 3.65 to 12.40) and leukemia (H.R., 6.30; 95% C.I., 3.75 to 10.58), had the largest MDD risk versus matched controls. Inpatient chemotherapy increased the risk of MDD (H.R., 0.43; 95% C.I., 0.30–0.62). Teenagers and young adults with cancer in Japan are prone to MDD. Multiple cancers, leukemia, and aggressive anticancer therapy should be continuously watched for MDD.

Akechi, T, Mishiro, I, Fujimoto, S. Risk of major depressive disorder in adolescent and young adult cancer patients in Japan. Psychooncology. 2022; 31( 6): 929- 937. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5881