Untangling the complexities of depression diagnosis in older cancer patients.

Overview

This review article discusses the complexities of diagnosing depression in older, geriatric cancer patients. There has been little research conducted with this population on the assessment, recognition, and treatment of depression, and thus increased attention is required to improve care for these individuals. Depressive symptoms often manifest themselves differently in both cancer patients and older patients, and therefore a modified and adapted way of assessment must be employed when thinking about diagnosing and treating these patients.