Depression and antidepressant use in gastrointestinal carcinoid cancer patients

Although mood disturbance is a common manifestation in all cancers that require clinical attention, very little is known regarding the psychiatric management of depression in patients with gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors. The goal of this study was to evaluate the degree of depression among patients with gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors, determine the prevalence of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use among these patients, and determine whether SSRI users differed from nonusers on demographic and general medical variables. Approximately 22% of the respondents in this study met screening criteria for clinically elevated or borderline depression. Moreover, 7% of respondents were following an SSRI regimen, whereas 7% were following a non-SSRI antidepressant regimen. Analyses revealed no differences on demographic or general medical indicators between SSRI users and nonusers.