Objective To investigate the incidence and related factors of depression in patients with digestive cancer (DC). Methods A total of 321 (315 valid questionnaires) DC patients out of different departments in 2 tertiary hospitals from June 2008 to March 2011 were enrolled in this study. They were surveyed by Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) to investigate the depression-related factors and the incidence of DC accompanied by depression. A correlation analysis was performed among the factors and incidence. Results The incidence of depression in patients with DC was 44.76%, mainly mild to moderate degree. The incidence was related with education levels and TNM stages. Conclusion The incidence of depression is quite high in patients with DC, and is correlated with education level and TNM stage. Special attention should be paid to the identification of depression in clinical practice.