Short summary

With an annual incidence of 4,500 patients, primary lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in Denmark. In general, lung cancer prognosis is poor; 5-year survival is approximately 10-12%. Depression has been associated with increased mortality in patients with lung cancer, but not much is known about why. The aim of the study is to examine the influence of the presence of depression in the lung cancer patient's history on a lung cancer diagnosis delay and treatment choice. The study involves more than 20,000 Danish lung cancer patients and is the largest study of its kind till date.

Description of the cohort

A total number of 21,025 patients diagnosed with primary lung cancer within the period January 1 2009 to December 31 2013 are included in the study. 396 of the patients have at least one hospital contact with a depression diagnosis within ten years before the lung cancer diagnosis.

Data and biological material

For each patient, comorbidity information up to 10 years before lung cancer diagnosis will be collected using the Danish National Patient Register.

From Statistics Denmark we will retrieve information on patients' education, family income and number of family members.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital

• Majken Munk Brønserud, MD
• Chief Surgeon and Clinical Associate Professor Erik Jakobsen, MD, MPM

Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital

• Statistician Maria Iachina, MSc, PhD

Department of Psychiatry, Odense University Hospital

• Chief Physician Oleg Trosko, MD

OPEN Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital

• Consultant and Professor Anders Green, MD, PhD