title: Depression in cancer patients.
abstract: Clinical depression is a relatively common, and yet frequently overlooked, source of suffering among patients with cancer. All patients who face a life-threatening diagnosis such as cancer experience a normal albeit painful emotional reaction, but a substantial minority will become clinically depressed. This article reviews some basic information that oncology practitioners may find helpful in identifying patients at risk of experiencing a major depression. A brief overview of the epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, screening approaches, and special issues, such as depression in the elderly, high-risk populations, and suicide is also provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. chochin@cc.UManitoba.CA
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chochinov
mesh_terms: D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide