Assessment of anxiety and depression in oral mucositis patients undergoing cancer chemoradiotherapy: A randomized cross-sectional study

摘要

Introduction: Oral mucositis is an unavoidable complication occurring during the treatment of cancer by radiotherapy, concurrentchemoradiotherapy (CCRT), or chemotherapy. This is a painful sequelae, significantly affecting the nutritional intake and quality of life. Materialsand Methods: A multicentric cross-sectional study was done at four cancer centers in Hyderabad. About 455 subjects of both genders between20 and 80 years undergoing cancer treatment such as chemotherapy (Group I), CCRT (Group II), radiotherapy within 14 days of initiation (GroupIII), and radiotherapy after 14 days of initiation of therapy (Group IV) who had oral mucositis were included in the study. A self-addressedHospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire was used to assess the anxiety/depression in cancer therapy-induced oral mucositis patients.Results: Group III had established anxiety (58.82%) followed by Group IV (47.5%) of patients showing severe oral mucositis. In Group I,47.17% and in Group II, 40% patients with borderline anxiety had mild mucositis, which was statistically significant (P = 0.01). Group III hadestablished depression in 56.36%, followed by Group IV with 39.62% patients showed severe oral mucositis. Group I and II had mild tomoderate mucositis, which was associated with established depression at statistically significant result (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Group IV hadmaximum participants with anxiety and depression, closely followed by Group II, Group III, and least in Group I. Thus appropriate intervention inthe form of nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatment is warranted.