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Background: Psycho-oncology literature has shown that 30–50% of cancer patients meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, according to the usual nosographic classification (e.g. DSM). The Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) have been shown to be useful in identifying psychological constellations in patients with medical illness. The aims of the study were to compare the DSM-IV and the DCPR in their application to cancer patients. Method: One hundred and forty-six patients with cancer underwent semistructured interviews to assess psychiatric morbidity and psychosocial syndromes according to the DSM-IV and the DCPR, respectively. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was also used to assess psychological stress symptoms. Results: Sixty-five subjects (44.5%) met the criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis (DSM cases), while 104 patients (71.2%) presented symptoms meeting the …