From diagnosis to treatment: patients' attitudes toward cancer care

A cancer diagnosis is perceived as a traumatic life event, typically characterized by an initial state of shock that involves dysfunctional emotions related to uncertainty and loss of control. Patients may experience persistent distress, anxiety, and fear of cancer recurrence, even some years after cancer treatments. Moreover, the patients' routines are often disrupted, as are their social and intimate relationships, and they are required to reorganize their priorities and expectations. Despite these challenges, cancer may also represent for some people an opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth. In this regard, patients can activate coping resources, redefine life priorities, and develop greater self-awareness following the diagnosis. Building on this background, the present contribution describes a new conceptual psychological model that highlights patients' attitudes toward cancer, identifying two key dimensions: attitudes toward diagnosis and attitudes toward treatment. The diagnosis may be perceived as either an obstacle or an opportunity for change; treatment, at the same time, could be either beneficial or burdensome. Therefore, four distinct psychological configurations emerged from the intersection of these two dimensions, each characterized by specific emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns that may influence coping strategies, treatment adherence, and identity reconstruction. To illustrate the model's clinical relevance, the present case shows how these psychological configurations may occur in real-world oncology settings.