Do cancer treatments cause depression?

Chemotherapy and other harsh cancer treatments are not only tough on your body, they can also take a toll on your mind and sometimes cause depression. The depression may arise from the stress of cancer treatments with their unpleasant side effects and disruption of normal life. However, depression can be difficult to correctly diagnose in a cancer patient because symptoms such as fatigue and pain can result from either the mood disorder or cancer drug therapies themselves. Be sure to talk to your doctor or mental health provider if you suspect you have depression. Treatment is available.