Supplementary Table 1: Potentially relevant studies excluded from the review

Trial / Sample size / Participants (depression criteria) / Interventions / Depression outcomes
Antidepressant medication
Amodeo 2012 / 30 / major depression, dysthymia or adjustmenta / slow v standard paroxetine titration / no significant difference
Cankurturan 2008 / 53 / major depression, anxiety or adjustmenta / mirtazapine v imipramine / no between-group analysis
Fisch 2003 / 163 / low mood or anhedoniab / fluoxetine v placebo / fluoxetine more effective than placebo
Holland 1998 / 38 / major depression or adjustmenta / fluoxetine v desipramine / no significant difference
Musselman 2006 / 35 / major depression or adjustment disordera / paroxetine v desipramine v placebo / no significant difference
Navari 2008 / 193 / low mood or anhedoniab / fluoxetine v placebo / fluoxetine more effective than placebo
Razavi 1996 / 91 / major depression or adjustmenta / fluoxetine v placebo / no significant difference
Razavi 1999 / 27 / adjustmenta / trazadone v clorazepate / no significant difference
Zhang 2003 / 93 / depression and anxietyb / paroxetine v no treatment / paroxetine more effective than no treatment
Psychological treatments
Evans 1995 / 78 / depressionb / group CBT v social support group v crisis intervention / groups more effective
Feng 2004 / 94 / depression and anxietyb / counselling v no treatment / counselling more effective than no treatment
Greer 1992, Moorey 1994 / 174 / depression, anxiety, helplessness or loss of fighting spiritb / CBT v no therapy / no significant difference
Moorey 1998 / 57 / adjustmenta / CBT v supportive counselling / no significant difference
Moorey 2009 / 80 / depression or anxietyb / CBT v usual care / no significant difference
Nezu 2003 / 150 / depressionb / PST v PST with significant other present v waiting list / both PST treatments more effective than waiting list
Savard 2006 / 45 / depressionb / CBT v waiting list / CBT more effective than waiting list
Yang 2004 / 100 / depression and anxietyb / education v no treatment / education more effective than no treatment
Zenati 2009 / 10 / depression or anxietyb / CBT v waiting list / CBT more effective than waiting list
Combined antidepressant medication and psychological treatments
Duffy 2006 / 126 / depressionb / alcohol, smoking and depression treatment v usual care / no significant difference
Dwight-Johnson 2005 / 55 / depression or dysthymiaa,b / collaborative care treatment v usual care / collaborative care treatment more effective than usual care
Ell 2007, 2008, 2011 / 472 / depression or dysthymiaa,b / collaborative care treatment v usual care / collaborative care treatment more effective than usual care
Kroenke 2009 & 2010, Johns 2011 / 309 / depressionb / telephone collaborative care v usual care / collaborative care treatment more effective than usual care
Mantovani 1996, 1996 / 74 / depression, anxiety or adjustmenta,b / medication (alprazolam + sulpiride) alone v medication + support v medication + support + guided imagery / medication + support + guided imagery more effective
Other treatments
Hollland 1991 / 174 / depression or anxietyb / alprazolam v progressive muscular relaxation / no significant difference
Wilkinson 2007 / 288 / depression or anxietya / aromatherapy massage v usual care / no significant difference

Exclusion reasons:atrial included both patients with depressive disorder and patients other psychiatric disorders but results not presented separately for depressed subgroup; bparticipants did not have a definite depression diagnosis (depression assessed using symptom scale only)

CBT = cognitive behavioral therapy, PST = problem solving therapy

Amodeo L, Castelli L, Leombruni P,Cipriani D, Biancofiore A, Torta R (2012). Slow versus standard up-titration of paroxetine for the treatment of depression in cancer patients: a pilot study. Supportive Care in Cancer2, 375-384.

Cankurtaran ES, Ozalp E, Soygur H,Akbiyik DI, Turhan L, Alkis N (2008). Mirtazapine improves sleep and lowers anxiety and depression in cancer patients: superiority over imipramine. Supportive Care in Cancer16, 1291-1298.

Duffy SA, Ronis DL, Valenstein M,Lambert MT, Fowler KE, Gregory L, Bishop C, Myers LL, Blow FC, Terrell JE (2006). A tailored smoking, alcohol, and depression intervention for head and neck cancer patients. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention15, 2203-2208.

Dwight-Johnson M, Ell K, Lee PJ (2005). Can collaborative care address the needs of low-income Latinas with comorbid depression and cancer? Results from a randomized pilot study. Psychosomatics 46, 224-232.

Ell K, Quon B, Quinn DI,Dwight-Johnson M, Wells A, Lee PJ, Xie B (2007). Improving treatment of depression among low-income patients with cancer: the design of the ADAPt-C study. General Hospital Psychiatry29, 223-231.

Ell K, Xie B, Kapetanovic S,Quinn DI, Lee PJ, Wells A, Chou CP (2011). One-year follow-up of collaborative depression care for low-income, predominantly Hispanic patients with cancer. Psychiatric Services62, 162-170.

Ell K, Xie B, Quon B,Quinn DI, Dwight-Johnson M, Lee PJ (2008). Randomized controlled trial of collaborative care management of depression among low-income patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology26, 4488-4496.

Evans RL, Connis RT(1995). Comparison of brief group therapies for depressed cancer patients receiving radiation treatment. Public Health Reports110, 306-311.

Feng Z, Chen L, Feng H (2004). Effect of psychological intervention on anxiety and depression induced by malignant tumours of urinary system. Chinese Journal of Clinical Rehabilitation8, 5510-5511.

Fisch MJ, Loehrer PJ, Kristeller J,Passik S, Jung SH, Shen J, Arquette MA, Brames MJ, Einhorn LH, Hoosier Oncology Group (2003). Fluoxetine versus placebo in advanced cancer outpatients: a double-blinded trial of the Hoosier Oncology Group. Journal of Clinical Oncology21, 1937-1943.

Greer S, Moorey S, Baruch JD,Watson M, Robertson BM, Mason A, Rowden L, Law MG, Blss JM(1992). Adjuvant psychological therapy for patients with cancer: a prospective randomised trial. British Medical Journal304, 675-680.

Holland JC, Morrow GR, Schmale A,Derogatis L, Stefanek M, Berenson S, Carpenter PJ, Breitbart W, Feldstein M (1991). A randomized clinical trial of alprazolam versus progressive muscle relaxation in cancer patients with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Journal of Clinical Oncology9, 1004-1011.

Holland JC, Romano SJ, Heiligenstein JH,Tepner RG, Wilson MG (1998). A controlled trial of fluoxetine and desipramine in depressed women with advanced cancer. Psycho-Oncology7, 291-300.

Johns SA, Kroenke K, Theobald DE,Wu J, Tu W (2011). Telecare management of pain and depression in patients with cancer: patient satisfaction and predictors of use. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management34, 126-139.

Kroenke K, Theobald D, Norton K,Sanders R, Schlundt S, McCalley S, Harvey P, Iseminger K, Morrison G, Carpenter JS, Stubbs D, Jacks R, Carney-Doebbeling C, Wu J, Tu W (2009). The Indiana Cancer Pain and Depression (INCPAD) trial Design of a telecare management intervention for cancer-related symptoms and baseline characteristics of study participants. General Hospital Psychiatry 31, 240-253.

Kroenke K, Theobald D, Wu J,Norton K, Morrison G, Carpenter J, Wanzhu T (2010). Effect of telecare management on pain and depression in patients with cancer: a randomized trial. JAMA304, 163-171.

Mantovani G, Astara G, Lampis B,Bianchi A, Curreli L, Orru W, Carta MG, Carpiniello B, Contu P, Rudas N (1996). Evaluation by multidimensional instruments of health-related quality of life of elderly cancer patients undergoing three different "psychosocial" treatment approaches. A randomized clinical trial. Supportive Care in Cancer 4, 129-140.

Mantovani G, Astara G, Lampis B,Bianchi A, Curreli L, Orru W, Carpiniello B, Carta M, Sorrentino M, Rudas N (1996). Impact of psychosocial intervention on the quality of life of elderly cancer patients. Psycho-Oncology5, 127-135.

Moorey S, Cort E, Kapari M,Monroe B, Hansford P, Mannix K, Henderson M, Fisher L, Hotopf M (2009). A cluster randomized controlled trial of cognitive behaviour therapy for common mental disorders in patients with advanced cancer. Psychiatric Medicine39, 713-723.

Moorey S, Greer S, Bliss J,Law M (1998). A comparison of adjuvant psychological therapy and supportive counselling in patients with cancer. Psycho-Oncology7, 218-228.

Moorey S, Greer S, Watson M,Baruch JDR, Robertson BM, Mason A, Rowden L, Tunmore R, Law M, Bliss JM (1994). Adjuvant psychological therapy for patients with cancer: Outcome at one year. Psycho-Oncology3.

Musselman DL, Somerset WI, Guo Y,Manatunga AK, Porter M, Penna S, Lewison B, Goodkin R, Lawson K, Lawson D, Evans DL, Nemeroff CB (2006). A double-blind, multicenter, parallel-group study of paroxetine, desipramine, or placebo in breast cancer patients (stages I, II, III, and IV) with major depression. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry67, 288-296.

Navari RM, Brenner MC, Wilson MN (2008). Treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with early stage breast cancer undergoing adjuvant therapy. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment112, 197-201.

Nezu AM, Nezu CM, Felgoise SH,McClure KS, Houts PS (2003). Project Genesis: assessing the efficacy of problem-solving therapy for distressed adult cancer patients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 71, 1036-1048.

Razavi D, Allilaire JF, Smith M,Salimpour A, Verra M, Desclaux B, Saltel P, Piollet I, Gauvain-Piquard A, Trichard C, Cordier B, Fresco R, Guillibert E, Sechter D, Orth JP, Bouhassira M, Mesters P, Blin P (1996). The effect of fluoxetine on anxiety and depression symptoms in cancer patients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 94, 205-210.

Razavi D, Kormoss N, Collard A,Farvacques C, Delvaux N (1999). Comparative study of the efficacy and safety of trazodone versus clorazepate in the treatment of adjustment disorders in cancer patients: a pilot study. Journal of Int Medical Res27, 264-272.

Savard J, Simard S, Giguere I,Ivers H, Morin CM, Maunsell E, Gagnon P, Robert J, Marceau D (2006). Randomized clinical trial on cognitive therapy for depression in women with metastatic breast cancer: psychological and immunological effects. Palliative and Supportive Care4, 219-237.

Wilkinson SM, Love SB, Westcombe AM,Gambles MA, Burgess CC, Cargill A, Young T, Maher EJ, Ramirez AJ (2007). Effectiveness of aromatherapy massage in the management of anxiety and depression in patients with cancer: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology25, 532-539.

Yang R-Z, Sun X-B, Mo T, Chen L-Z (2004). Effect of psychological intervention in elevating the positive emotion of patients with gynecological malignant tumor. Chinese Journal of Clinical Rehabilitation8.

Zenati H (2009). Effects of cognitive behavioral time-limited individual therapy on anxiety, depressive symptoms and cancer coping skills in women initially diagnosed with cancer. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering70, 3800.

Zhang L, An G, Xu Y (2003). Paroxetine in treatment of cancer patients with anxiety and depression. Chinese Mental Health Journal1, 482-483.