Depression in older women with metastatic breast cancer

Depressive symptoms are common in older women with late-stage breast cancer, and some of these patients meet criteria for major depressive disorder. Significant overlap exists among many of the most prevalent physical signs and symptoms of depression in older adults (e.g., weight loss, fatigue) and the physical signs and symptoms of malignancy or treatment for malignancy, which may contribute to ongoing underdiagnosis and undertreatment of depression in this population. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and evidence-based geriatric nursing guidelines call for routine screening for depression with valid and reliable screening instruments among high-risk groups at every encounter. Geriatrics, oncology, and palliative care nurses are encouraged to regularly screen older women with metastatic breast cancer for depressive symptoms and maintain a low threshold for initiation of behavioral and/or psychopharmacological interventions.