Major depressive disorder and associated factors in elderly patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Background: Data regarding elderly patients with cancer, more particularly with non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), are scarce, as is our knowledge concerning to comorbid depression in this population. The purpose of this work was to explore the frequency of major depressive disorder (MDD) and related factors in a group of elderly patients with these forms of cancer. Method: 42 elderly NHL patients aged 70 years and older were interviewed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview screening tool. Psychological variables such as coping strategies, cognitive status and quality of relationships, as well as clinical and socio-demographic data were collected. Results: Fourteen patients (33.3%) met criteria for current MDD of which five had melancholy features (35.7%). Elderly patients with comorbid NHL-MDD had a significantly poorer self-perceived global health and performance status than those without MDD, as well as more fatigue and history of depression. No other clinical, psychological or socio-demographic variable appeared associated with MDD in this sample. Conclusion: Further studies are needed in order to confirm these early results concerning a potential high frequency of MDD among elderly NHL patients. Depressive mood should be early recognized in order to provide appropriate treatments and avoid a detrimental effect of depression on cancer prognosis