Psychosocial problems in cancer care: a brief review of common problems

Worldwide the number of cancer cases continues to increase. Newly diagnosed patients often face more advanced and aggressive therapy as medical advances attempt to provide better survival outcomes. Success in part from improvements of treatment and from early diagnosis means that more cancer patients are living longer with the diagnosis. Given these facts, the following review provides a selective examination of the literature related to treatment problems. In addition, common problems of anxiety, depression, psychosexual and communications issues are examined. The uses of psychological interventions are briefly discussed, and approaches in which mental health nurses in cancer care can contribute to improvements in patient wellbeing are highlighted.