Cognitive therapy for adjustment disorder in cancer patients

A DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER INTERRUPTS THE LIFE OF A PATIENT AND HIS OR HER FAMILY. Cancer treatment often entails continued investigation and therapy that typically has side effects and offers the repeated warning to be vigilant. Cancer is often a life-threatening illness. The field of psycho-oncology is well established, and clinical oncologists often have a good awareness of the psychological challenges cancer poses to their patients. Despite the nature of the stressor, it is important to note that the majority of cancer patients do not meet diagnostic criteria for any emotional disorder.(1) Rather, their psychosocial stress can be conceptualized on a continuum (Figure 1) from normal adjustment to diagnosable mental disorders.(2).