Emotional Health Needs of Newly Diagnosed CLL Patients

New survey data, along with previous data in peer-reviewed research, shows the diverse ways a CLL diagnosis and subsequent treatment decisions can affect patients' mental health. The analysis included responses from 111 patients, 100 caregivers, and 102 board-certified hematologic/oncologists, hematologists, or medical oncologists who had treated at least five patients with CLL in the previous 12 months in the United States. Data from the surveys included some of the following details.

• Upon first learning of their CLL diagnosis, 32 percent said they felt worried, 36 percent reported feeling uncertain, 36 percent reported feeling tired, 36 percent reported feeling optimistic, and 41 percent reported feeling hopeful.
• 71 percent of physicians said they are likely to discuss the emotional impact of CLL with their patients.
• 90 percent of physicians said they recognize that a patient's emotional well-being has an impact on their treatment plan.
• Among caregivers, 81 percent said they felt positive about caring for someone with CLL.
• 74 percent of caregivers said being a caregiver was more difficult than expected.

A study was presented in a poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in 2018 on the topic of the experience of patients with CLL from diagnosis to treatment (J Clin Oncol 2018; doi: 10.1200/JCO.2018.36.15_suppl.7532). The researcher surveyed 1,147 patients for the study and discovered the following information.

• When an active observation approach was recommended, 56 percent reported feeling anxious, 52 percent felt relief, and 38 percent felt confusion.
• During active observation, 62 percent reported experiencing fatigue and 46 percent reported experiencing anxiety.
• Prognostic testing after diagnosis led to increased anxiety in 34 percent of the patients, increased depressive feelings in 13 percent of patients, and relief in 17 percent of patients.