[Melanoma patients: psychosocial stress, coping with illness and social support. A systematic review]

Malignant melanoma (MM) is a cancer with rapidly growing incidence in all age groups and-if not detected early-mostly poor prognosis. After wide excision of the primary tumour, patients without metastases are subjected to follow-up examinations. No further standard medical treatment is currently available for such patients. This results in psychosocial stress, and psychological adjustment and social support are needed-especially in patients with poor prognosis and visible scars. This article reviews recent evidence of the psychosocial correlates in melanoma disease in the context of past research. Factors discussed include psychosocial distress, coping with cancer, support from the social network, and the need for professional psychosocial intervention and its effectiveness. Previous studies which have investigated the correlation between psychosocial factors and the course of the disease are also reviewed. Additionally, suggestions for future research are discussed.