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Does emotional support influence survival? Findings from a longitudinal study of patients with advanced cancer

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Abstract

A total of 163 patients with advanced cancer at an Australian teaching hospital were interviewed to investigate whether emotional support was predictive of survival duration. Survival was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimate, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, from entry to the study in 1996 to date of death, or 31 March 2003, whichever came first. The number of confidants with whom feelings were being shared at the time of study entry was predictive of survival duration. The regression analysis indicated that compared with patients reporting two or three confidants, the relative risk of a shorter survival (95% confidence limits) was 0.44 (0.25, 0.79) for those with no or one confidant and 0.60 (0.40, 0.89) for those with four or more confidants. Shorter survivors shared their feelings more with family members than longer survivors. Conversely, longer survivors shared their feelings more with friends than shorter survivors. These relationships did not hold at 12 weeks from study entry. At that time, longer survivors were more likely to be sharing their feelings with a doctor than shorter survivors. The relationship between emotional support and survival duration was not linear and appeared to be more complex than reported previously for people with heart disease and newly diagnosed breast cancer.

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Acknowledgements

This study was undertaken as part of the Canberra Quality of Life Project, funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Community Services. The Cancer Council South Australia also is acknowledged for providing financial support to the first author. The authors wish to thank patients and their caregivers for participating and medical, nursing and social work colleagues for their support, and A/Professor Amy Abernathy for editorial comment

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Canberra Hospital, 2601, Woden, ACT, Australia

    Catherine M. Burns

  2. School of Social Administration and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia

    Catherine M. Burns

  3. The Cancer Council South Australia, GPO Box 929, 5061, Unley, South Australia, Australia

    Catherine M. Burns

  4. Medical Oncology Unit, The Canberra Hospital, GPO Box 11, 2601, Woden, ACT, Australia

    Paul S. Craft

  5. Centre for Cancer Control Research, The Cancer Council South Australia, GPO Box 929, 5061, Unley, South Australia, Australia

    David M. Roder

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  1. Catherine M. Burns
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  3. David M. Roder
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Correspondence to Catherine M. Burns.

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Burns, C.M., Craft, P.S. & Roder, D.M. Does emotional support influence survival? Findings from a longitudinal study of patients with advanced cancer. Support Care Cancer 13, 295–302 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-004-0722-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-004-0722-2

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