Psychological and mood disturbance associated with the diagnosis and treatment of testis cancer and other malignancies

Eighty‐seven men with testis cancer (TC) and 35 men with other cancers (OC) completed measures of mood (Profile of Mood States) and of personality and psychopathology (Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory). Effects of primary disease, phase of diagnosis and treatment, locoregional vs. cytotoxic treatment, age, and marital status on these measures were examined. TC patients appeared more distressed during treatment, particularly during cytotoxic as compared to locoregional treatment, than before or after treatment, and more distressed than OC patients. Being married appeared to buffer the stress of cancer and its treatment. Although treatment, particularly cytotoxic therapy, appeared to result in transient distress, results did not offer strong evidence that cancer and its treatment typically precipitate severe psychopathology.