Prospective study of depression and fatigue in men with advanced prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy

Abstract

Purpose: We prospectively examined the development of depressive symptoms and fatigue among men with locally advanced prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy.

Methods: Fifty-two men with advanced or recurrent prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive either parenteral leuprolide or oral bicalutamide. Patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at pretreatment baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

Results: Rates of at least mild depression ranged from 10.4 to 16.3% over the 12 months and were not significantly different at each time point. Mean change in BDI scores from baseline to 6 months for the entire sample was 0.91 (SE = 0.73), and from baseline to 12 months was 0.35 (SE = 0.67). Mean FSS scores increased significantly from baseline (M = 24.43, SD = 11.75) to 6 months (M = 27.93, SD = 13.52) and remained steady at 12 months (M = 27.80, SD = 14.44). There were no significant differences in depression between the two types of hormone therapy.

Conclusion: Hormone therapy does not appear to cause clinically significant changes in depression among men with locally advanced prostate cancer. However, fatigue increased significantly over the study period.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have conflicts of interests or disclosures.

Figures

Figure 1

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores across time for total sample and by treatment group. Effect size estimates (Cohen’s d) for 6- and 12-month change in BDI scores compared to pretreatment baseline: total sample =0.21 at 6 months and 0.08 at 12 months; leuprolide group = 0.42 at 6 months and 0.32 at 12 months; bicalutamide group = 0.02 at 6 months and −0.15 at 12 months

Figure 2

Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) scores across time for total sample and by treatment group. Effect size estimates (Cohen’s d) for 6- and 12-month change in FSS scores compared to pretreatment baseline: total sample = 0.28 at 6 months and 0.26 at 12 months; leuprolide group = −0.004 at 6 months and 0.25 at 12 months; bicalutamide group = 0.57 at 6 months and 0.31 at 12 months