title: Depression assessment by oncologists and palliative care physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression is a frequent problem in cancer patients, which is known to reduce quality of life; however, many cancer patients with depression are not treated because of the difficulties in assessing depression in this population. Our aim was to evaluate and improve the depression assessment strategies of palliative care (PC) physicians and oncologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  We invited all medical oncologists and PC physicians from three cancer centers to participate in this multicenter prospective study. They were asked to classify 22 symptoms (related and specific to depression in cancer patients, related but not specific, and unrelated) as "very important," "important," "less important," or "not important" for the diagnosis of depression in cancer patients, at three different time points (at baseline, after a video education program, and after 4 weeks). They were also asked to complete a questionnaire exploring physicians' perceptions of depression and of their role in its systematic screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 34 eligible physicians participated. Baseline performance was good, with >70% of participants correctly classifying at least seven of nine related and specific symptoms. We found no significant improvement in scores in the immediate and 4-week follow-up tests. Additionally, 24 (83%) and 23 (79%) participants expressed support for systematic depression screening and a role for oncologists in screening, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oncologists had good baseline knowledge about depression's main symptoms in cancer patients and a positive attitude toward being involved in screening. Underdiagnosis of depression is probably related to problems associated with the oncology working environment rather than the physicians' knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Wadih
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rhondali
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perceau
authors.affiliation: Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saltel
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trillet-Lenoir
authors.affiliation: Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Blay
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fournel-Federico
authors.affiliation: Clinique Francois Chenieux, Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Coulon
authors.affiliation: Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tredan
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de l'EA 4129, Santé-Individu-Société, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de l'EA 4129, Santé-Individu-Société, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matillon
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bruera
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier de Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Marilene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filbet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003863:Depression / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010045:Outpatients; D065126:Palliative Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires