Non-organic somatic symptoms in cancer.
Somatic symptoms considered as unrelated to cancer or grossly out of proportion to the known pathology were systematically assessed in a group of 98 consecutively referred cases. Subjects with prominent somatic symptoms (somatisers) had depression (53%), anxiety (12%) and atypical somatoform disorder (27%). During follow-up, somatisers with depression showed clinical improvement whereas those with atypical somatoform disorder showed no improvement or deteriorated. Methods of distinguishing the cause of somatic symptoms in cancer patients are discussed.
NIMHANS Quarters, Bangalore, India.
S K
SK
Chaturvedi
P
P
Hopwood
P
P
Maguire
D000328:Adult; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic