Szydlo, Daniel

9609 Background: Patients undergoing treatment for cancer often report problems with their cognitive function (CF), which is an essential component in maintaining Quality of Life (QoL). We conducted a longitudinal study of lung cancer (LC) patients to systematically evaluate changes in QOL including changes in CF, over time. Methods: Between 2005–2008, we followed 1757 primary LC patients who responded to CF questions at least once within 8 years of diagnosis. Overall QoL measured by LCSS and LASA (scores 0–100 from worst to best) were assessed among 1,604 of 1,757 (91%) who completed the questionnaire at one or both of two time periods: short-term (T1-within 3 years of diagnosis) and long-term follow-up (T2-beyond 5 years of diagnosis). Questions rated overall CF and problems in thinking clearly. Results: The median age at the time of LC diagnosis was 68 years in men (n=834) and 65 years in women (n=770), p<0.0001. At T1, the mean score of patients reporting problems with CF was 63.2 (±22.45) vs 74.4 (±20.38) who reported no problems (p<0.0001). At T2, the mean score was 62.2 (±24.18) for patients who reported CF problems and 78.1 (±18.28) who reported no changes with their CF (p<0.0001). At T1, the mean score of patients reporting problems thinking clearly was 66.1 (±21.65) vs 75.6 (±20.21) reporting no problems with their thinking (p<0.0001). At T2, the mean score was 70.4 (±20.95) for patients reporting problems thinking clearly vs 82.6 (±17.76) who reported no problems (p<0.0001). Conclusions: Self-reported QoL of lung cancer survivors showed substantial deficits with their cognitive function. Prospective and objective assessments are needed to determine if cancer treatments are positively associated with cognitive decline, to identify the patients at risk, and to test appropriate interventions. Funding Source: NIH grants: CA 115857, CA 84354, CA 80127 and CA 77118. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

6518 Background: Several studies have demonstrated the importance of pessimism in cardiovascular disease. However, this construct has not been well explored in oncology. Methods: This study examined the survival time of 534 adult who were diagnosed with lung cancer. These patients had completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) approximately 18.2 years prior to their lung cancer diagnosis. MMPI Optimism-Pessimism (PSM) scores were divided into high (60 or more) and low scores (less than 60), and log-rank tests and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to determine survival differences. Multivariate Cox models were used for assessing prognostic values of pessimism along with other known predictors for survival outcome. Results: At the time of diagnosis, patients were on average 67 years old, 48% were female, 85% had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 15% had small cell lung cancer (SCLC), 30% were stage I, 4% were stage II, 31% were stage III/Limited, and 35% were stage IV/Extensive. Patients who exhibited a non-pessimistic explanatory style survived approximately six months longer than patients classified as pessimists. Pessimists have significantly worse survival rates even after adjusting for other known prognostic variables. Conclusions: Among lung cancer patients, having a pessimistic explanatory style was related to surviving on average six months less compared to patients with a non-pessimistic explanatory style. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.