Evidence of acute stress disorder after diagnosis of cancer.

Cancer patients frequently have symptoms of anxiety and depression after diagnosis. Often these symptoms are apparent to the physician. We report the case of a cancer patient who appeared to her physician to be coping relatively well but was actually having psychologic symptoms that met criteria for acute stress disorder (ASD). Cancer patients who have psychologic trauma at diagnosis and meet criteria for ASD may appear to be coping better than they are. Mental health interventions for cancer patients are recommended.