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Observational Study
©The Author(s) 2026. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Feb 19, 2026; 16(2): 111196
Published online Feb 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i2.111196
Correlation of anxiety/depression status with stress-related markers and cancer-related fatigue in patients with colon cancer
Ling Zhao, Bin Jian, Duan-Hong Chen
Ling Zhao, Department of Proctology, The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 402160, China
Bin Jian, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 402160, China
Duan-Hong Chen, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 402160, China
Author contributions: Zhao L contributed to conception, design, data analysis, and manuscript drafting and editing; Zhao L, Jian B and Chen DH contributed to collection, assembly of data and revised the manuscript; Zhao L and Chen DH contributed to conception, resources, and manuscript review and editing; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University.
Informed consent statement: Patients were not required to give informed consent to the study because the analysis used anonymous clinical data that were obtained after each patient agreed to treatment by written consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Duan-Hong Chen, MD, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 439 Xuanhua Road, Yongchuan District, Chongqing 402160, China. chenduanhong1986@163.com
Received: August 26, 2025
Revised: October 15, 2025
Accepted: November 10, 2025
Published online: February 19, 2026
Processing time: 156 Days and 22.7 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Focusing on patients with colon cancer (CC; n = 120), this study comprehensively explored psychological and clinical correlates. Results indicated anxiety/depression in over 50% of patients with CC, with symptoms primarily falling into the mild category. Notably, anxiety and depression correlated significantly and positively with stress-related factors (heat shock protein 70 and C-reactive protein) and cancer-induced fatigue. Moreover, certain clinical features—specifically being female, being 60 years old or older, and having a stage III or IV tumor—were confirmed to increase the risk of patients with CC to developing anxiety or depression. These results offer valuable evidence-based support for clinical practice, such as screening for psychological distress, classifying patients by risk level, and implementing tailored psychological support for patients with CC.