Citation

Saracino RM, Nelson CJ. J. Geriatr. Oncol. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America. Electronic address: nelsonc@mskcc.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jgo.2019.02.005

PMID

30797709

Abstract

The increasing number of older adults living with cancer will inevitably include vulnerable subgroups who experience a range of depressive symptoms throughout the care continuum. It is well established that depression can lead to decreased quality of life, poor treatment adherence, increased length of hospital stay and health service utilization, and in severe cases, suicide. Thus, clinicians working in oncology must be able to identify, conceptualize, and treat (or connect to services) the mental health concerns of their older patients. This brief review describes the unique etiologies, features, and treatments for depressive syndromes among older adults in the oncology setting, drawing on the literature and prevailing depression management guidelines from both psycho-oncology and geriatric depression research.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

Assessment; Depression; Geriatric; Older; Oncology; Treatment