Clinical depressionadversely affectsquality of life and is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with cancer.Identifying depressionin the cancer settingcan however bedifficult.

This talk will highlightclinical and academic approaches to the assessment and classification of depression in advanced cancer. Topics include:

• How depression evolved as a psychiatric disorder in the 20^th century.
• Particular difficulties diagnosing depression in the cancer setting.
• The frequency and correlates of depression in patients with advanced cancer.
• The utility of screening and case-finding tools for depression in cancer.
• Consensus-based recommendations for diagnosing depression in cancer.