Review of psychotherapeutic interventions on depression in cancer patients and their impact on disease progression

Depression, ranging from mild to severe, is the most frequently found psychological symptom among individuals with cancer. Depression in cancer patients has been known to mitigate emotional distress, quality of life, adherence to medical treatment, and overall health outcomes. Specifically, depression has been associated with impaired immune response and with poorer survival in patients with cancer. Various studies have found that psychotherapeutic interventions are effective in reducing symptoms of depression, which in turn could affect disease progression and mortality. This paper provides updated information on psychotherapeutic interventions geared towards cancer patients suffering from depressive disorders, and its impact on disease progression. PubMed, Cochrane Library database, PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES databases were searched from January 1980 through August 2013 using key words: psychotherapy, treatment, oncology, cancer, psycho-oncology, psychosocial issues, psychosocial stress, depression, mood disorder, and psychoneuroimmunology.