Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Second thoughts about implementing routine screening of cancer patients for distress

Doutes quant à la mise en place d’un dépistage systématique de l’anxiété chez les patients atteints d’un cancer

  • Original Article / Article Original
  • Published:
Psycho-Oncologie

Abstract

Recommendations for routine screening of cancer patients for distress lack evidence that screening improves patient outcomes. Settings contemplating screening should consider other options for using the same resources. This article reviews evidence relevant to decision making and calls attention to limits in using screening instruments cross-culturally and for triaging patients for receipt of services. Whether screening is the best option depends on the patient population, culture, and health system.

Résumé

Les recommandations de dépistage systématique de l’anxiété chez les patients atteints d’un cancer ne démontrent pas que le dépistage améliore la situation des patients. Les paramètres du dépistage devraient prendre en compte d’autres options permettant d’utiliser les mêmes ressources. Cet article porte sur les éléments permettant d’appuyer la prise de décision et attire l’attention sur les limites de l’utilisation transculturelle d’instruments de dépistage et du triage des patients pour la réception des services. L’adéquation du dépistage dépend de la population de patients, de la culture et du système de santé.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (2012). Cancer Program Standards 2012, Version 1.1: Ensuring Patient-Centered Care. Available at: http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/programstandards2012.html. Accessed August 19, 2013

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bidstrup PE, Johansen C, Mitchell AJ (2011) Screening for cancer-related distress: Summary of evidence from tools to programmes. Acta Oncol 50(2):194–204

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bultz BD, Carlson LE (2013) A commentary on “Effects of screening for psychological distress on patient outcomes in cancer: A systematic review.” J Psychosom Res 75(1):18–19

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cancer Journey Portfolio, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (2012). Screening for distress, the 6th vital sign: A guide to implementing best practices in person-centred care. http://tinyurl.com/knfo3dm Accessed September 28, 2013

    Google Scholar 

  5. Carey M, Lambert S, Smits R, et al (2012) The unfulfilled promise: A systematic review of interventions to reduce the unmet supportive care needs of cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 20(2):207–219

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Carlson LE, Clifford SS, Groff SL, et al (2009) Screening for depression in cancer care. In: Mitchell AJ, Coyne JC (eds) Screening for depression in clinical practice: An evidence-based guide. New York, NY, Oxford University Press, pp 265–295

    Google Scholar 

  7. Carlson LE, Groff SL, Maciejewski O, et al (2010) Screening for distress in lung and breast cancer outpatients: A randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol 28(33):4884–4891

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Carlson LE, Waller A, Groff SL, et al (2012) Online screening for distress, the 6th vital sign, in newly diagnosed oncology outpatients: Randomised controlled trial of computerised vs personalised triage. Brit J Cancer 107(4):617–625

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Carlson LE, Waller A, Mitchell AJ (2012) Screening for distress and unmet needs in patients with cancer: Review and recommendations. J Clin Oncol 30(11):1160–1177

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cassel CK, Guest JA (2012) Choosing wisely: Helping physicians and patients make smart decisions about their care. JAMA 307:1801–1802

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cohen M, Gagin R, Cinamon T, et al (2012) Translating “distress” and screening for emotional distress in multicultural cancer patients in Israel. Qual Life Res 21(4):555–562

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Coyne JC, van Sonderen E (2012) The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) is dead, but like Elvis, there will still be citings. J Psychosom Res 73(1):77–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Dolbeault S, Bredart A, Mignot V, et al (2008) Screening for psychological distress in two French cancer centers: Feasibility and performance of the adapted distress thermometer. Palliative and Supportive Care 6(02):107–117

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Dutch Working group guideline “Screening for psychosocial distress.” Guideline “Screening for psychosocial distress.” http://www.oncoline.nl/screening-for-psychosocial-distress. Accessed September 28, 2013

  15. Evans DL, Charney DS, Lewis L, et al (2005) Mood disorders in the medically ill: Scientific review and recommendations. Bio Psychiat 58(3):175–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Fretheim A, Schunemann HJ, Oxman AD (2006) Improving the use of research evidence in guideline development: 5. Group processes. Health Res Policy Syst 4:17

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Harris RP, Helfand M, Woolf SH, et al (2001) Current methods of the US Preventive Services Task Force: A review of the process. Am J Prev Med 20:21–35

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Henselmans I, Helgeson VS, Seltman H, et al (2010) Identification and prediction of distress trajectories in the first year after a breast cancer diagnosis. Health Psychol 29(2):160

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hollingworth W, Metcalfe C, Mancero S, et al (2013) Are needs assessments cost effective in reducing distress among patients with cancer? A randomized controlled trial using the distress thermometer and problem list. J Clin Oncol. doi:10.1200/JCO.2012.48.3040

    Google Scholar 

  20. Illes J, Kann D, Karetsky K, et al (2004) Advertising, patient decision making, and self-referral for computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging. Arch Intern Med 164:2415–2419

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Institute of Medicine Committee on Standards for Developing Trustworthy Clinical Practice Guidelines (2011) Clinical practice guidelines we can trust. National Academies Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  22. Krebber AMH, Buffart LM, Kleijn G, et al (2013) Prevalence of depression in cancer patients: A meta-analysis of diagnostic interviews and self-report instruments. Psycho-Oncology. doi: 10.1002/pon.3409. [Epub ahead of print]

    Google Scholar 

  23. Lam WW, Bonanno GA, Mancini AD, et al (2010) Trajectories of psychological distress among Chinese women diagnosed with breast cancer. Psycho-Oncology 19(10):1044–1051

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Loblaw DA, Prestrud AA, Somerfield MR, et al (2012) American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guidelines: Formal systematic review-based consensus methodology. J Clin Oncol 30(25):3136–3140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Maters GA, Sanderman R, Kim AY, Coyne JC (2013) Problems in cross-cultural use of the hospital anxiety and depression scale: “No butterflies in the desert.” PLOS One 8(8):e70975

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Maunsell E, Brisson J, Deschenes L, Frasure-Smith N (1996) Randomized trial of a psychologic distress screening program after breast cancer: Effects on quality of life. J Clin Oncol 14:2747–2755

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Meijer A, Roseman M, Delisle VC, et al (2013) Effects of screening for psychological distress on patient outcomes in cancer: A systematic review. J Psychosom Res 75(1):1–17

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Mitchell AJ (2007) Pooled results from 38 analyses of the accuracy of distress thermometer and other ultra-short methods of detecting cancer-related mood disorders. J Clin Oncol 25(29):4670–4681

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Mitchell AJ (2010) Short screening tools for cancer-related distress: A review and diagnostic validity meta-analysis. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 8(4):487–494

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Mitchell AJ (2013) Screening for cancer-related distress: When is implementation successful and when is it unsuccessful? Acta Oncol 52(2):216–224

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Muzzatti B, Annunziata MA (2012) Psychological distress screening in cancer patients: Psychometric properties of tools available in Italy. Tumori 98(4):501–509

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. National Collaborating Center for Mental Health (2010) The NICE guideline on the management and treatment of depression in adults (updated edition). National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, UK

    Google Scholar 

  33. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2004). Guideline on cancer services: Improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer

    Google Scholar 

  34. Palmer SC, Taggi A, DeMichele A, et al (2012) Is screening effective in detecting untreated psychiatric disorders among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients? Cancer 118:2735–2743

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Raffle A, Gray M (2007) Screening: Evidence and practice. Oxford University Press, UK

    Book  Google Scholar 

  36. Richardson A, Medina J, Brown V, et al (2007) Patients’ needs assessment in cancer care: A review of assessment tools. Support Care Cancer 15:1125–1144

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Shaneyfelt T (2012) In guidelines we cannot trust. Arch Intern Med 172:1633–1634

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Thombs BD, Arthurs E, El-Baalbaki G, et al (2011) Risk of bias from inclusion of patients who already have diagnosis of or are undergoing treatment for depression in diagnostic accuracy studies of screening tools for depression: Systematic review. BMJ 343

  39. Thombs BD, Coyne JC (2013) Moving forward by moving back: Re-assessing guidelines for cancer distress screening. J Psychosom Res 75(1):20

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Thombs BD, Coyne JC, Cuijpers P, et al (2012) Rethinking recommendations for screening for depression in primary care. CMAJ 184:413–418

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Thorsen L, Gjerset GM, Loge JH, et al (2011) Cancer patients’ needs for rehabilitation services. Acta Oncol 50:212–222

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Tuinman MA, Gazendam-Donofrio SM, Hoekstra-Weebers JEHM (2008) Screening and referral for psychosocial distress in oncologic practice. Cancer 113:870–878

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2002) Screening for depression: Recommendations and rationale. Ann Intern Med 136:760–764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2009) Screening for depression in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med 151:784–792

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. UK National Screening Committee (2000). Second report of the UK National Screening Committee. UK National Screening Committee, UK

    Google Scholar 

  46. van Scheppingen C, Schroevers MJ, Smink A, et al (2011) Does screening for distress efficiently uncover meetable unmet needs in cancer patients? Psycho-Oncology 20(6):655–663

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Vodermaier A, Linden W, Siu C (2009) Screening for emotional distress in cancer patients: A systematic review of assessment instruments. J Natl Cancer Inst 101(21):1464–1488

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. von Heymann-Horan AB, Bidstrup PE, Kristiansen LC, et al (2013) Equity in the use of publicly subsidized psychotherapy among elderly Danish cancer patients: a register-based cohort study. Acta Oncol 52(2):355–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Wilson JM, Jungner G (1968) Principles and practices of screening for disease. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  50. World Health Organization (2013) Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women: WHO clinical and policy guidelines. https://extranet.who.int/iris/restricted/handle/10665/85240. Accessed September 18, 2013

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Medical Center, Groningen, the Netherlands

    J. C. Coyne

  2. Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA

    J. C. Coyne

Authors
  1. J. C. Coyne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. C. Coyne.

About this article

Cite this article

Coyne, J.C. Second thoughts about implementing routine screening of cancer patients for distress. Psycho Oncologie 7, 243–249 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11839-013-0437-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11839-013-0437-z

Keywords

Mots clés

Search

Navigation