Cancer, Psychosocial Dimensions of

Martin Pinquart & Rainer K. Silbereisen

The lives of almost everyone will be touched by cancer, either because they are diagnosed with cancer or because a family member or friend is diagnosed. This entry focuses on the prevalence of cancer, the impact of cancer on psychological development, and age differences in cancer's impact on the individual in particular. Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Both cancer sites (e.g., breast, brain, lung) and cancer types (e.g., melanoma, sarcoma) vary with regard to etiology, course, mortality, and risk factors. In the United States, about 39% of women and 44% of men are estimated to have cancer at some point in their lives, and 20% of women and 24% of men are expected to die from cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2003). The incidence of cancer increases with age, with only a slight moderation among those over the age of Most ...

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