Somatic Symptoms Tied to Depression With Ovarian Cancer

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By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on May 11, 2026.

via HealthDay

MONDAY, May 11, 2026 -- Somatic symptoms may disproportionately inflate depression scores among patients with ovarian cancer, according to a study published online May 11 in Cancer.

Rachel Telles, from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues examined the contribution of somatic symptoms to the assessment of depression severity in patients with ovarian cancer. The analysis included 428 patients with ovarian cancer who completed psychosocial assessments at one to two weeks before surgical intervention or initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and at one-year follow-up.

The researchers found that somatic items showed differential functioning between groups. Patients with ovarian cancer were more likely to endorse somatic symptoms at lower levels of depression versus healthy aging adults. Additionally, those with ovarian cancer required a lower level of depression to endorse somatic items versus nonsomatic items. At one year, these differences between patients with cancer and healthy aging adults were no longer present.

"We intend these findings to help guide assessments of depressive symptoms to discriminate between physical symptoms that are related to cancer and cognitive or affective symptoms that may respond to more traditional interventions for depression," Telles said in a statement. "We hope that more tailored care will improve outcomes for these patients."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-05-12 02:42

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