What is psycho-oncology?

Sometimes it is also referred to as psychosocial oncology or behavioural oncology because it deals with psychosocial and behavioural topics. The field is concerned both with the effects of cancer on a person's psychological health as well as the social and behavioural factors that may affect the disease process of cancer and/or the remission of it.

It appeared in the United States in the '70s and in Italy in the ‘80s and in 1985 the Italian Society of Psycho-oncology was founded.

The development of this discipline can be related to the cultural changes given by more information to patients, who are increasingly considered as protagonists of their personal care path. More informed patients who want to participate consciously in the choice of their treatments have shifted the attention on the psychological and social aspects of the oncology path.

Psycho-oncology develops, therefore, in a general framework of change of medicine that sees its purpose to offer patients a tailored treatment that takes into account not only the extent of the disease, but also of the person with her/his expectations, concerns and psychological needs.

Psycho-oncology is focused on the reactions to the specific event of the patient's illness and to the psychological, social and behavioural variables that influence prevention, adherence to therapeutic treatments and quality of life.

 

Main factors of emotional distress

Numerous personal factors play a central role in determining the psychological distress of women who face breast cancer and who can benefit from specific interventions.

Some of these of these factors are for example:

  • Changes of own body image
  • Concerns about the consequences of medical treatments
  • Changes in the current or future relations with the partner
  • Concerns related to treatments that can cause consequences on fertility
  • Concerns about own children and / or non-self-sufficient family members
  • Concerns related to the temporary decrease of autonomy
  • Concerns about the immediate and long-term future
  • Previous negative family history of breast cancer
  • Previous history of psychological distress or anxiety
  • Sexuality disorders resulting from diagnosis or treatment 

 

Why talking with a psycho-oncologist?

Cancer patients often do not talk about their suffering or talk about it without fully communicating it, assuming that it is normal to suffer in such situation. This is a misunderstanding that can negatively affect the quality of life and the ability to find emotional resources to cope with it.

Data from Italian and international studies indicate that between 30% and 40% of cancer patients suffer from significant levels of emotional distress, but less than 10% receive specialized intervention. This is of great concern because cancer changes people's lives and has a strong impact on the existential, psychological and social levels. Sometimes, the help offered by doctors, nurses and relatives is enough to support the person in the process of adaptation. Other times, however, reactions of anxiety, demoralization, sleep problems, difficulties in sex, couple and family life exceed the cognitive and behavioral capacities of adaptation and in some cases, remain even beyond the completion of the therapies.

In these cases, a specialized support can be important to favour the best possible adaptation to the oncological path.

 

How is the psycho- logical intervention structured?

Psycho-oncological support consists of one or more individual or group interviews, centred on the reaction to the disease and / or to the treatment with the aim of relieving the emotional suffering of the patient and / or her family members. The services provided are:

  • Psychological support
  • Group psychotherapy
  • Individual or couple counselling
  • Consultations for family members in crisis situations
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Evaluations on the quality of life
  • Psychological tests
  • Distribution of informative material 

 

MD. Anna Costantini

Responsible U.O.D. Psycho-oncology

A.O. Sant’Andrea Roma

Sapienza Università di Roma

Presidente S.I.P.O.