Objective@#We aimed to determine the overall profile of
patients in a
psycho-oncology clinic and the differences in their characteristics according to the
cancer site. @*
Methods@#The charts of 740
patients aged under 81 years were reviewed. The data from 586 completed
questionnaires were subjected to multiple comparison analyses using one-way
analysis of variance to examine the demographic and clinical differences according to the
cancer site. @*Results@#Most (n=532, 71.9%)
patients were referred. Most new
patients (n=426, 96.6%) received a
psychiatric diagnosis; the most common
diagnosis was
depressive disorder (n=234, 31.6%). Likewise,
depressive disorder accounted for the majority of
diagnoses in all groups except for the
digestive system cancer group in which
sleep-wake disorder was the most prevalent. The
female genital cancer group showed a higher level of
anxiety symptoms than other groups, except for
breast and haematolymphoid
cancer groups, and
psychological distress than all other groups. @*Conclusion@#There appear to be delays in the
referral of
cancer patients seeking psychiatric help to a
psycho-oncology clinic. Along with tailoring approaches by
cancer site, thorough evaluation and appropriate management of
sleep-wake and
anxiety symptoms are important for
digestive system and
female genital cancer patients, respectively.