Cancer patients deserve to receive aggressive treatment for comorbid depression. Dr. David Spiegel and his team of researchers at Stanford University found that patients with depression may exhibit faster rates of cancer progression. The team found that depression was as dangerous a risk factor for mortality in cancer as it is in cardiovascular disease.
While depression is often underdiagnosed in cancer patients, Dr. Spiegel said his findings suggests that psychiatrists should view treatment for depression as part of overall cancer treatment. Dr. Spiegel presented his findings at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.