title: Prevalence of depression and anxiety among cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression and anxiety had negative effects on the quality of life of cancer patients, thus hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) is a useful instrument for screening these problems. This research was performed to assess the prevalence of their anxiety and depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2012-2013, one hundred fifty patients with recent diagnosis of different cancers in Babol, Iran were assessed. A presumptive diagnosis of anxiety and depression was based on a four point 14-item HADS. The score of 0-7 means without clinical symptoms of anxiety or depression, 8-10 mild and 11-21 symptomatic anxiety or depression. The data were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four (29.3%) patients had mild anxiety, 25 (16.7%) symptomatic anxiety but mild and symptomatic depression were seen in 40 (26.7%) and 32 (21.3%) patients, respectively. There were significant relationships between anxiety, depression and the age group of the patients with higher frequency in older ages. There were significant relationships between anxiety and depression with the type of cancer and type of treatment. Breast and stomach cancer patients had the highest prevalence of anxiety and depression and the higher prevalence was observed in the patients who received chemotherapy as the single treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that patients with breast and stomach cancer had the highest prevalence of anxiety and depression among all others cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Novin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikbakhsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Sussan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moudi
authors.affiliation: Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Setareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abbasian
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khafri
keywords: Anxiety; Cancer; Depression; Treatment