Psycho-oncology

Psycho-oncology ( from psychology and oncology ) refers to the psychological care of cancer patients. Another name is Psychosocial Oncology. Psycho- oncology is thus an interdisciplinary form of psychotherapy or clinical psychology, which is concerned with the psychological, social and socio-legal conditions, consequences and side effects of cancer.

Psycho-oncology as a science

The psycho-oncology as a science began in the 1970s, initially with the investigation of psychosocial factors that should be responsible for the development of cancers ( Psychoimmunology ). Made famous in this context is the postulated in the 1980s allegation that the cancer risk highly correlate with certain personality traits, which condense in the " Personality Type C". The "Type C " represents employees and over matched people who drive inhibited, appear defensive and depressed and are not able to express their feelings appropriately. Meanwhile, the construct of " cancer personality " of science is largely discarded. One's own life, such as tobacco smoking, however, can significantly contribute to carcinogenesis and influence the course of disease. Since behavior through psychological states can be caused by, certain personality traits could favor the development of cancer, even if the concept of a " cancer personality " is simplistic. However, the concept has proven yet in everyday thinking quite great popularity and is still by individual scientists championed - mostly without a sound systematic evidence.

Mental stress as a result of cancer

Since the 1990s, increasingly the question is discussed, which psychological stress or overt disorders may develop as a result of cancer and how this can affect the quality of life of disabled, medical and clinical aspects. An important aspect of this relates to the construction and application of valid and cancer-specific instruments for measuring mental comorbidity. This is linked to the search for factors that may predict possible to secure a mental concomitant disease - which opens up the possibility, conversely, to supply them quickly and early psychosocial.

Some authors assume that in about a third of all cancer patients as a result of severe mental burden of the underlying disease, a psychological disorder in the sense of co-morbidity occurs.

The role of psycho-oncologists

In practical care or therapy context, it is up to the psycho-oncologists to assist the patient in coping by means of different techniques, for instance through crisis intervention, resource-oriented interventions or imaginative process. The aim is to strengthen the competence of the patient to cope with the disease. This is - as far as possible - the personal social environment of the person concerned integrated. A psycho- oncological care should be ensured at all stages of the disease, ie during acute treatment, rehabilitation, and possibly also during the dying process.

At a technical level, the psycho-oncology in the German Association organized for psychosocial oncology ( dapo ) scientific association in the Association for Psycho-Oncology of the German Cancer Society (PSO ).