Cancer patients less depressed than previously thought

The rate of depression among cancer patients may be lower than previously believed, says a new study. An international team of researchers analyzed 94 studies involving over 14,000 patients and found that about one sixth of cancer patients suffer from depression and about a third of a mood disorder more broadly defined.

In the first five years after diagnosis, cancer patients had only modest rates of depression and anxiety, suggesting that depression is not inevitable in these patients, the researchers said. Depression was common only when combined with other mood disorders, and occurred in thirty percent of hospitalized cancer patients.

The study was published in the online edition of the January 19 issue of The Lancet Oncology. Rates of depression and anxiety were not significantly different between patients receiving palliative care (designed to relieve pain and increase the comfort of terminal cancer patients) and palliative care is not (designed to fight cancer and relieve symptoms.) This suggests that the effects of differences in the areas of cancer care, and possibly the stage of cancer, about depression could have been emphasized more than previously, the researchers said in a news release from the magazine.

They also concluded that the age and sex of patients with cancer did not influence the risk of depression. "While these rates (for depression) are modest, you should not ignore this group of patients. Improvements in survival and the high prevalence of most cancers actually increased rates of depression, which is estimated to reach 340,000 people are in the UK and two million in the U.S..

UU. with major depression and cancer at the same time, "the researchers said in the statement. "Our study shows that depression alone is not as common as previously thought in the cancer as it occurs in one in six patients, more or less the same as that seen in primary care settings. Although depression remains an important complication that is ignored in cancer, physicians should also be aware of other emotional problems like anxiety disorder, adjustment or just any kind of significant emotional distress, "the researchers concluded, and emphasized that "there remains an urgent need" of assessment programs for depression, anxiety and mood disorders among cancer patients.

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