Sometimes I hear from patients that mental health is an overlooked part of their cancer treatment. Cancer, no matter what stage or type, is an incredibly stressful and mentally taxing diagnosis to contend with. Addressing that depression may actually be an important part of improving their outcomes as well, according to a new study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology meeting on September 28.

Researchers looked at retrospective data and found that patients who received psychotherapy within a month of cancer diagnosis had a 21% lower risk of dying from cancer. They also found that patients with major depression had a higher risk of dying from cancer, but only 3% of patients with depression received psychotherapy within 4 weeks of getting a cancer diagnosis. That suggests there’s an important unmet need for mental health among cancer patients.

“When depression goes unrecognized or untreated, it can add another layer of difficulty at a time when patients need support the most. Our findings suggest that earlier screening and referral for psychotherapy could help address an important gap in comprehensive cancer care,” said Edmund Qiao, the lead author on the study and a radiation oncology resident at UCSD.