Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Patients

Depression and anxiety in cancer patients may seem like a likely pairing - cancer is a very scary diagnosis and it seems obvious that your mental health can be impacted by it. However, believe it or not, up until recently it has been pretty minimally addressed by many providers.

Thankfully, that seems to be changing! 

Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Patients 

Did you know that depression affects 1 in 4 cancer patients?1

And did you know that cancer patients are 5 times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-cancer patients?1 

It’s not just at one particular stage of a cancer diagnosis either. Depression and anxiety are common among patients during a diagnosis and initial treatment, during active treatment and follow-up phases, and even into remission and long-term survivorship. 

One of the most common things I hear from my own clients is “I’m finished with my treatment, so why am I crying now?” 

Cancer often creates a tremendous sense of loss and uncertainty for many people, regardless of whether it’s a new diagnosis or something you’ve lived with for years. I explained this in a little more detail in this post. 

And especially concerning for cancer patients specifically, studies have shown that depression and anxiety can often lead to treatment delay or non-adherence to treatment.1 That can be scary to think about. 

What Are Some Symptoms?

How can you know if you are experiencing depression and/or anxiety? What are some common symptoms?

With depression, you may be experiencing it if you have some of these symptoms regularly (such as almost daily for two weeks or more):

• Feeling sad or hopeless

• Having little interest or pleasure in doing things in general, especially things you’d typically enjoy 

• Difficulty with sleep 

• Abnormal appetite 

• Feeling negatively about yourself, or feeling like a failure 

• Trouble concentrating 

• Feeling fidgety or restless 

• Thinking about hurting yourself in some way or having suicidal thoughts 

It’s also possible to experience: 

• Frequent crying or weeping 

• Increased irritability or anger 

• Drug or alcohol use 

• The desire to withdraw from friends or family 

• Difficulty with memory 

• Quitting hobbies or activities you’d typically enjoy 

And with anxiety, some common symptoms include:

• Feeling like you can’t stop or control your worries

• Feeling on edge, nervous, scared, or anxious 

• Having difficulty relaxing 

• Feeling excessively restless and unable to sit still 

• Feeling easily irritable, annoyed, or angry 

• Worrying often as if something awful might happen 

As cancer patients, it’s not uncommon for us to feel any range of these symptoms, and depression and anxiety often go hand-in-hand. 

Cancer and Depression and Anxiety - What We Can Do As Patients

Until recently, the guidelines for oncologists to address mental health issues with their patients such as anxiety and depression have been minimal. Last year, however, both ASCO (the American Society of Clinical Oncology) and ESMO (the European Society of Medical Oncology) published new guidelines for providers on new approaches to treat and monitor mental health. Progress! 

In fact, an article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (an ASCO publication) named Emotional Distress the “6th vital sign” that medical providers should monitor in their patients with cancer1.

It’s imperative that oncologists and their teams become familiar with these new guidelines and are prepared to discuss and monitor symptoms for patients. 

However sometimes as the patient, we have to advocate for ourselves as well. Ask your providers if there are psycho-social services available at your facility if they’ve not been presented to you previously. And if they’re not available, inquire about referrals. 

One of my favorite resources for patients is an organization called Unite for Her. Unite for Her provides resources for integrative therapies not often offered through traditional oncology facilities to treat your mind, body, and soul. They’re an organization with a great mission.   

Cancer Counselor

If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or both - at any point in your cancer journey, I encourage you to reach out to me. I am happy to extend a free consultation to anyone who is exploring whether counseling is right for them. 

Reach Out

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1 - https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/news/help-wanted-help-needed-anxiety-and-depression-in-patients-with-cancer/