Researchers say early psychological screening and appropriate mental health support may be an important part of comprehensive cancer care
October 1, 2026: Depression among cancer patients may be associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer, according to findings from a SEER-Medicare study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
The study found that 22 percent of the cancer patients included in the analysis had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Compared with patients without depression, those with the diagnosis had an 11 percent higher risk of cancer-related death.
The data showed that one year after a cancer diagnosis, the cancer-related mortality rate was 29 percent among patients with depression, compared with 21 percent among those without depression. After five years, the rates were 43 percent and 35 percent, respectively.
Lead study author Dr. Edmund M. Kiao said symptoms of depression during cancer treatment can often go unrecognized because fatigue, difficulty concentrating and loss of interest in activities may also result from cancer itself or its treatment.
The researchers suggested that early psychological screening after a cancer diagnosis, followed when necessary by referral for psychotherapy, could be an important component of comprehensive cancer care.
The analysis also found an association between receiving psychotherapy soon after a cancer diagnosis and a lower risk of cancer-related death.
However, the researchers emphasized that the findings show an association between depression and cancer-related mortality and do not establish that depression directly causes death.
The study findings were presented at the annual conference of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.