Recent trends in the management of depression in persons with cancer

Purpose of review Depression is a prevalent comorbidity in cancer that significantly increases the risk for numerous negative health outcomes. This review updates the current evidence base for management of depression in cancer, highlighting new research directions based on the inflammatory hypothesis of depression. Recent findings Research on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for depression in cancer has shown mixed efficacy partly because of methodological issues arising from the phenomenology of depression in cancer. After decades of stagnancy, more recent high-quality clinical trials are beginning to provide an evidence base to guide treatment. Inflammatory cytokine-associated depression is a subtype of depression that may have particular relevance in cancer, opening new avenues to explore therapeutic targets and biobehavioral impacts of interventions, which may improve cancer outcomes. Summary The continuum of severity in cancer-related depression is important to consider in management approaches. Choice of treatment should be personalized to the patient and their symptom profile as there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend any particular medication or psychotherapy over another. Psychological interventions should be considered first line for mild-to-moderate depression, and pharmacological treatment added for more severe depression, which can be optimally delivered within a collaborative care model. Video abstract http://links.lww.com/YCO/A62