Depression in patients with advanced cancer and pain.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The importance of emotional symptoms in the context of the health-disease binomium, and efforts to spread information on Palliative Medicine motivated this article. The objective of this literature review was to propose a reflection on the diagnosis of depression in patients with advanced cancer with pain, based on existing concepts and definitions.

CONTENTS

Pain and depression are prevalent symptoms in cancer patients. Considering the different points of intersection between physical and mental diseases, sometimes the diagnosis of depression in patients with cancer and pain is difficult. This datum is very important because depression decreases considerably the quality of life of patients, and should be diagnosed and treated properly

CONCLUSIONS

After reviewing the literature, a few questions remained unanswered. This fact awakens the interest to undertake studies that propose precise diagnostic solutions and efficient treatment of this symptom in patients with advanced cancer.