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LONDON, Mar 23 (Reuters) - Doctors are failing to spot symptoms of stress and depression in cancer patients and are not referring them to experts for counseling, British researchers said on Friday.
"Being diagnosed with cancer is often a traumatic experience and for many people it's a time when they need extra support," said Professor Lesley Fallowfield, of the University of Brighton.
But a study of 2,300 people in 34 hospitals across Britain by Fallowfield and her colleagues showed many cancer patients are not receiving it.
They found that more than one third of the people in the study could have benefited from some type of psychological help but the 143 specialists treating them only spotted the symptoms in a quarter of the patients.
"If we can diagnose depression and anxiety more effectively then we can ensure that every patient gets the right treatment," Fallowfield added in a statement.
The researchers, whose work is published in the British Journal of Oncology, called for doctors to be trained in communication skills to improve the care and treatments of cancer patients.
They also suggested that patients fill out a questionnaire before seeing a doctor, which may help to determine if they are depressed and need professional counseling.
"We need to ensure that anybody experiencing mental health problems such as anxiety or depression is able to get the support they need--whether this be medication, taking treatments or alternative or complementary therapies--as soon as they first need it," said Ruth Lesirge, the chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation.
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