Mihir Shah, MD, on the need for mental health screening in patients with prostate cancer

In this video, Mihir S. Shah, MD, shares key take-home messages from the study, “Racial Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression Associated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer,” for which he served as the senior author. Shah is a clinical assistant professor and vice chair of clinical research at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Video Transcript:

I think what we have learned in literature is that the incidence of depression in patients with prostate cancer is about 10% to 40% which is higher than the similar incidence in the general population, which is about 9%. So, our patients with prostate cancer at a higher risk of depression. Therefore we need to screen them better. This study also suggests that there might be a difference along racial lines when it comes to incidence and treatment, especially [for] our patients that are being treated with androgen deprivation therapy. We need to close that gap, and just as a general rule, screen our prostate cancer patients more closely for depression, especially those with androgen deprivation therapy.

This transcription has been edited for clarity.