title: Cancer and depression.
abstract: There is strong evidence that depression can have profound negative effects on the functional status, psychologic outlook, and possibly the medical outcome of cancer patients. Its presence often is taken for granted by both patients and physicians as being either inevitable or easily explained by the grim prognosis and complex treatment regimens experienced by many cancer patients, and thereby less deserving of an aggressive approach to diagnosis and treatment. This view is inappropriate, and hinders an effective approach to the problem. Effective treatment, similar to that provided for any other depressed patient, can enhance the cancer patient's overall approach to life and the disease, irrespective of the eventual medical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. tschwenk@umich.edu
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Schwenk
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome