Anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline

ESMO Open. 2023 Apr;8(2):101155. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.101155. Epub 2023 Mar 14.

¹ Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
² Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
³ Academic Palliative and Supportive Care Studies Group (APSCSG), Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool; Department of Supportive and Palliative Care, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Monash University and Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health, Clayton, Australia.
⁵ Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, Rochester; Wilmont Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, USA.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁸ Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus; Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁹ UOC Medical Oncology, AUSL Latina, Sapienza University of Rome, Aprilia.
¹⁰ Oncology-Supportive Care in Cancer, Department of Oncology & Haematology Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milan, Italy.

Abstract

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Anxiety and depressive disorders are common in patients with cancer.
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A higher prevalence seen in patients with cancer than the general population is often underrecognised.
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Psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based therapies are effective treatments.
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Psychopharmacological treatments have been shown to be effective treatments of anxiety and depressive disorders.

Keywords: anxiety; cancer; depression; oncology; psychiatry; psycho-oncology.