Our overall aim is to improve the management of depression and other symptom problems in cancer patients.

Depression is relatively common amongst patients with cancer but is often not detected and rarely receives intensive treatment. Untreated depresison in oncology patients results in reduced quality of life, poorer compliance with treatment and possibly reduced life expectancy.

In our current programme, we are currently focussing on the detection and management of depression.

Depression in cancer outpatients is detected by using short questionnaires administered on touch screen computers. Those who score high on this initial screen then receive a brief telephone interview at home to identify cases of major depression. We are working to reduce the burden on patients by making the screening process more efficient.

Our treatment for depression is a multi-component intervention delivered by an oncology nurse specialist in depression. We are currently conducting a randomised clinical trial in which the nurse delivered intervention is compared with usual NHS care.

We are also piloting the detection and management of fatigue in cancer patients.

The work is done jointly by the University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK. We work in close collaboration with NHS colleagues in the Edinburgh Cancer Centre.