Psychiatric treatment of the patient during cancer therapy.

In summary, the physician should view abnormal behavior in the cancer patient as an early and important diagnostic sign that an underlying medical problem (such as hypercalcemia) may be present. Depression and insomnia yield to intervention with antidepressants and hypnotics in cancer patients as readily as in noncancer patients. Finally, attentive listening is in and of itself anxiety-relieving and can go a long way toward reducing the emotional distress of people with cancer.