Psychological impact of revealing a diagnosis of lung cancer to patients in China

Background: In conventional Chinese culture, awareness of a malignant disease is believed to increase a patient's psychological pressure, leading to anxiety or depression. But this notion is in conflict with the patient's right to receive information about their own disease. Methods: This study is to investigate whether disclosure of diagnosis increases the level of anxiety or depression in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Seventy patients who underwent lung resection and diagnosed with lung cancer postoperatively were divided into two groups-the disclosed group (n=35) and the undisclosed group (n=35), depending on the awareness of their diagnosis, as decided by their consigned family members. All patients were asked to fill in a form to evaluate their level of anxiety and depression before discharge. Results: Disclosure of diagnosis did not affect the degree of anxiety or depression in patients with lung cancer (P>0.05). Age <= 50, relatively more advanced stage (stage II as compared with stage I) of disease, extensive surgery and major postoperative complication were risk factors of anxiety (P<0.05). Major postoperative complication was the only risk factor of depression (P<0.05). Conclusions: Disclosure of diagnosis to patients with lung cancer does not induce or aggravate anxiety or depression in modern Chinese population. Factors such as complications, age, stage of disease and extent of surgery do have psychological impacts on patient with lung cancer.