Antidepressants May Enhance Surgical Outcomes in Cancer Patients with Comorbid Depression

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Recent research conducted at the Ohio State University suggests that screening for depression and initiating appropriate therapy may improve surgical outcomes among patients with abdominal cancer and comorbid depression. The study, which analyzed data from a large cohort of patients diagnosed with hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers between 2008 and 2019, found that patients with comorbid depression were more likely to experience poor surgical outcomes, including complications, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare expenditures. However, the study also found that patients who received treatment for depression were more likely to achieve ideal postoperative outcomes, highlighting the potential benefits of depression screening and therapy in the surgical management of cancer patients.

Key Takeaways:

  • Depression is a common comorbidity among cancer patients, affecting approximately 5.3% of the cohort studied.
  • Patients with comorbid depression were more likely to experience poor surgical outcomes, including complications, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare expenditures.
  • Patients who received treatment for depression were more likely to achieve ideal postoperative outcomes, including no complications, short hospital stays, and low healthcare expenditures.
  • Female, White, and patients with lower comorbidity burden were more likely to receive treatment for depression.
  • The study found that screening for depression and initiating appropriate therapy may enhance surgical outcomes among patients with abdominal cancer and comorbid depression.

Statistics:

  • 32,726 cancer patients were included in the study, with 1731 (5.3%) having documented depression.
  • 478 patients with depression received treatment, while 1253 did not.
  • Patients who received treatment for depression were more likely to be female (71% vs. 68%), White (88% vs. 80%), and have lower comorbidity burden (65% vs. 54%).
  • The study found that patients who received ideal postoperative outcomes had no complications (85%), prolonged hospital stays (83%), 90-day readmission (92%), or 90-day mortality (96%).

Sources:

  • The Impact of Antidepressants On Surgical Outcomes Among Patients With Abdominal Cancer and Comorbid Depression. Psycho-Oncology, 2025;34(6).
  • NewsRx. Findings in the Area of Cancer Reported from Ohio State University (The Impact of Antidepressants On Surgical Outcomes Among Patients With Abdominal Cancer and Comorbid Depression). Cancer Weekly. July 15, 2025; p 356.