Psychological Distress in Surgical Lung Cancer Patients: Trajectories, Influencing Factors and Impacts on Quality of Life

Surgical lung cancer patients experience an initial increase in psychological distress, followed by a gradual decline, with three distinct trajectories. Surgical modality, lymph node metastasis, and postoperative adjuvant therapy, symptom burden, anxiety and self-efficacy were the major influencing factors of psychological distress trajectories. Persistent distress adversely impacts QoL, underscoring the need for early, personalised psychological interventions to improve long-term outcomes.