Psycho-oncology: review and update

The field of psycho-oncology is moving forward rapidly, especially for a relatively new field. Cancer patients and survivors are willing to discuss their needs and interests relating to diagnosis and treatment. There are guidelines and algorithms for determining levels of distress in cancer patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The pharmacologic treatment of distress, particularly depression, has vastly improved. Randomized controlled trials are becoming available for patients in order to determine the efficacy of psychotropic drugs. Numerous interventions are available to help cancer patients move forward with their lives. Some of these interventions began in the 1980s and have progressed to the use of complementary and alternative medicine techniques as coping strategies for cancer. With the rapid expansion of the Internet, cancer survivors' thirst for information also has grown. Many resources are available to help guide cancer patients through the maze of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.