Distress in Cancer Patients

ABSTRACTCancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to the WHO, the next decade will record a substantial, over 50% increase in cancer related illnesses. Due to the advances in the efficiency of detection and treatment methods, more than two thirds of the adult patients diagnosed with cancer may be expected to survive more than five years. Consequently, the investigation of factors affecting the quality of cancer patients' physical and psychological functioning, and their interactive effect on the progress of illness becomes imperative. The major aim of the present paper is to delineate the major findings regarding the implications of cancer-related distress, and changes in the quality of life and well-being of cancer patients. We will discuss the prevalence, possible risk factors, and implications of cancer-related depression, anxiety, suicide, as well as the most important and effective methods in psycho-social care that ameliorate these forms of mental-health malfunctioning.KEYWORDS: cancer, distress, depression, anxiety, suicide, quality of life, well-being.Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide (National Center for Health Statistics, 2006). Of all deaths, one in four cases is attributable to different forms of oncological diseases (Massie & Greenberg, 2005), lung, stomach, liver, colon, and breast cancer causing the most cancer-related deaths each year (WHO, 2013). According to the WHO (2008a; 2008b), the next decade will record a substantial, over 50% increase in cancer related illnesses, leading to the diagnosis of 16 million new cases, and 10.3 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. Because of the advances in the efficiency of detection and treatment methods, more than two thirds of the adult patients diagnosed with cancer may be expected to survive more than five years (Ries, Harkins, Krapcho, Mariotto, Miller, Feuer, et al., 2006 as cited in Costanzo, Stawski, Ryff, Coe, & Almeida, 2012). Thus, as the population ages, and death rates decrease, the number of persons living with cancer-related diseases will continue to increase (Massie & Greenberg, 2005). Research has repeatedly evidenced that the diagnosis with cancer has a tremendous psychological impact on patients and their families, inducing high levels of distress, significantly impairing psychological functioning (NCCN, 2009). In this context, the investigation of factors affecting the quality of cancer patients' physical and psychological functioning, and their interaction becomes imperative (Bradley, Rose, Lutgendorf, Costanzo, & Anderson, 2006; Helgeson & Tomich, 2005; Hewitt, Greenfield, & Stovall, 2005). The relationship between distress and oncological diseases has kindled several trajectories of research. One area started investigating the effect different psychological factors have on the onset of cancer (Massie & Greenberg, 2005). This far, empirical research has not clarified this relationship (Levenson & McDonald, 2002), though lay people continue to believe that psychological factors may cause cancer-related illness (Massie & Greenberg, 2005; Ross, Boesen, & Johansen, 2005). The second direction of research focused on investigating the effect of distress on the progress of illness. Research documented that different forms of emotional distress may have a significant impact on the course of illness via poorer pain control (Glover, Dibble, Dood, & Miaskowski, 1995), lower levels of compliance to treatment (Ayres, Hoon, Franzoni, Matheni, Cotanch, & Takayanagi, 1994), decreased desire for implication in different forms of therapy that would sustain recovery and enhance the patients' quality of life (Lee & Ganzini, 1992). The diagnosis with cancer is typically thought of as a highly adverse, traumatic encounter (Costanzo, Ryff, & Singer, 2009; Kangas, Henry, & Bryant, 2002). Its prolonged treatment and physical side effects can have a profound impact on almost all aspects of the patients' functioning (CPAC, 2009). …