By Krystie Lee Yandoli — 2015
“It’s difficult for someone in the throes of it to believe they’ll ever feel better again.”
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Cancer patients often get depressed simply because having cancer can be a depressing experience.
Feelings of depression are common when patients and family members are coping with cancer. It's normal to feel sadness and grief. Dreams, plans, and the future may seem uncertain.
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A cancer diagnosis brings a wealth of psychological challenges. In fact, adults living with cancer have a six-time higher risk for psychological disability than those not living with cancer.
A single dose of psilocybin, a compound found in “magic mushrooms,” provides long-term relief of anxiety and depression in cancer patients, a new study finds.
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The new research looked at cancer patients who took part in a study nearly five years ago.
For cancer patients, untreated depression can mean they stop taking prescriptions, skip their cancer treatment or start engaging in behaviors like smoking or overeating that can harm their health.
The diagnosis of cancer creates a flood of negative emotions for patients on the receiving end. Cancer patients are especially prone to depression because of cancer’s symptoms and treatments.1 Depressive symptoms stemming from a cancer diagnosis are treatable when discovered.
Research shows that cancer survivors are more likely than their healthy peers to suffer psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression, even a decade after treatment ends.
I was lucky that my type of cancer responds well to hormone therapy, with no chemotherapy or radiation. Despite my excellent prognosis and low chance of recurrence, my breast cancer almost killed me.
Persistent depression can significantly shorten lung cancer survival—even if patients receive the latest cancer treatments, new research shows.