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Cancer and depression

Duration: 1 year (2022 – 2023)

Depression is a comorbid disabling syndrome known to affect between 10 to 20% of cancer patients. Some estimates indicate that rates could be as high as 58% Depression in individuals with cancer has been associated with poorer health outcomes and when left untreated, an increased likelihood of early death. Cancer patients suffering from depression are also at heightened risk of suicide, particularly those with head and neck cancers, who have the highest incidence of suicide across all oncology populations.

Cancer patients with a pre-existing depression diagnosis also face significant challenges. Despite the heterogeneity of the available studies, the evidence for the role of mental disorders in tumor progression and cancer-related mortality has been rapidly accumulating. Cancer can be poorly treated or overlooked, with the symptoms misattributed as an expression of the mental disorder due to ignorance, stigma or discrimination. Their cancer diagnosis and side-effects of treatment also often lead to a worsening of depressive symptoms, which is often not adequately addressed.

Objectives

Through the proposed project, GAMIAN-Europe will aim to achieve the following:

Raise awareness on the issue of depression as a cancer co-morbidity. In particular relating to:

The importance of early intervention for identifying and treating depression in cancer patients (cancer-associated or pre-existing)
The specificities of symptom display in cancer patients (as opposed to non-cancer patients)

Gather in-depth patient accounts on the issue of co-morbidity, with an emphasis on:

Negative experiences of care for patients suffering from both cancer and depression as well as the views of caregivers
Success life stories of people who managed and dealt with comorbidity.

Gather information from relevant stakeholders such as patients, clinicians, researchers and EU and national policy makers regarding the challenges of comorbidity, focusing particularly on:

The obstacles to detection and diagnosis of depression in cancer patients, and cancer in depressed patients
The risk factors associated with developing depression in cancer patients
The main barriers to accessing adequate treatment for depression in people with cancer

Encourage a dialogue between patients, clinicians and other stakeholders to be used as a basis for policy recommendations for EU and national policy makers