Evaluation of depression in patients with bone metastasis before and after radiotherapy

Abstract

Bone is the third most common site of metastasis after lung and liver. Most of the bone metastasis come from either prostate or breast cancers. The incidence of developing bone metastasis in advanced diseases is quite high. Besides; depression is common in cancer patients with metastasis. Beck Depression Inventory is used in assessment of depression in patients. External beam radiation therapy is an effective technique in achieving pain control in patients with bone metastasis. One hundred patients were included in the study according to their primary diseases. Patients were divided into four groups and Beck depression test was performed twice to determine the depression levels of the patients before and after radiotherapy. Before radiotherapy patients were given Beck-0 and after radiotherapy they were given Beck-1 Results of Beck-0 and Beck-1, were statistically significant among any group itself and among all groups p<0.001. Those scores were also significant for number of bone metastasis and number of radiotherapy treatment p<0.001. Depression is a common disease among the oncologhy patients, and can affect them, negatively. Beck scale scores after radiotheraphy have been found to be higher than those before radiotheraphy.