[The early recognition of mental morbidities during psycho-oncologic treatment]

Unfortunately there have been no positive changes in the main indicators of cancer incidence in Hungarian population since the turn of the millennium. The main goal of psycho-oncologic treatment is to provide the highest possible quality of life to the patient. The prevalence of mental disorders in cancer patients is high and it is accompanied by a rather small number of qualified staff. Thus, the remedy might be the identification of high-risk patients, i.e. the systematic psycho-oncologic screening. Hungary is still lacking a unified screening method that involves all oncologic treatment-providing units. Compiling the Hungarian standards for the Distress Thermometer and the Problem List is the first step of a complex program for creating a general psycho-oncologic screening. Such a comprehensive program might improve oncologic patient-care and, eventually, the quality and prospect of the lives of patients.