Cancer: Psychosocial Treatment

Arthur M. Nezu & Christine Maguth Nezu

Although cancer continues to be a significant public health problem, considerable medical progress has been made in treating this set of diseases during the past several decades. Many forms are curable, and there is a sustained decline in the overall death rate from cancer in terms of the impact on the total population. Because of improvements in medical science, more people are living with cancer than ever before. However, psychosocial and emotional needs are frequently overlooked, and in spite of improved medical prognoses, cancer patients often continue to experience significant emotional distress. For example, compared to the general population, cancer patients experience a fourfold increase in the rate of depression. Other significant psychological problems include pain, anxiety, suicide, delirium, body image difficulties, and sexual dysfunctions. Even for people who historically have coped well with major negative life events, cancer and its treatment greatly increase the stressful nature of even In ...

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