Symptomatology, assessment, and treatment of anxiety in older adults with cancer

Abstract

Anxiety is a normal response to a perceived threat and is characterized by worry that is difficult to control, restlessness, difficulty concentrating and sleeping, fatigue, and muscle tension [1]. The objective threat posed by cancer likely accounts for the high rates of anxiety in cancer patients and survivors [2]. In fact, many studies indicate that rates of anxiety are higher than rates of depression in cancer patients across age groups [3,4]. For older adults, the threat of cancer occurs in the context of other threats posed by aging [5,6].