Psychiatric disorders in cancer patients: descriptive analysis of 1721 psychiatric referrals at two Japanese cancer center hospitals.
BACKGROUND
Although a diagnosis of cancer today may no longer be considered to be the equivalent of a death sentence, many previous studies in Western countries have revealed that such a diagnosis places many kinds of emotional burden on a patient. However, few studies have focused on the nature of psychiatric disorders in Japanese cancer patients.


METHODS
We investigated the characteristics, reason for psychiatric consultation and psychiatric diagnosis of cancer patients by analyzing the database of patients referred to the Psychiatry Divisions at the National Cancer Center Hospital and the National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan.


RESULTS
Among a total of 1721 referrals, most of the cancer patients (78%) were inpatients. Patients with lung cancer (19%) were the most common, followed by patients with breast cancer (13%) and with head and neck cancer (10%). More than half of the patients had recurrent and/or metastatic cancer and 60% of the patients had pain. The most common reason for the consultation was psychiatric evaluation (35%), followed by sleep disorders (19%), anxiety or fear (18%) and depression (18%). Regarding the psychiatric diagnosis, adjustment disorders were the most common (34%), followed by delirium (17%) and major depression (14%). The diagnosis of cancer had been disclosed to more than 99% of the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The common psychiatric disorders observed in Japanese cancer patients were similar to those in the Western countries provided the cancer diagnosis is disclosed.
Akechi
T
T
Psychiatry Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Nakano
T
T
Okamura
H
H
Ueda
S
S
Akizuki
N
N
Nakanishi
T
T
Yoshikawa
E
E
Matsuki
H
H
Hirabayashi
E
E
Uchitomi
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014342:Truth Disclosure