May 21
Cancer is serious, but what about your feelings?
Dealing with cancer involves more than diagnosis and treatment of the physical effects of the disease.
A diverse group of health professionals met in Halifax last week to discuss how best to support the social and emotional needs of cancer patients and their families and make those supports readily accessible.
Those kinds of services aren’t always available, particularly to people in rural areas, said Mary Jane Esplen, a Toronto nurse and president of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology.
But even when they are, a stigma around seeking support and a societal pressure to “keep a positive attitude” can prevent people from using it, she said.
To overcome those barriers, cancer-care providers need to ensure things like distress screening are a standard part of what’s offered to every patient.
“This is part of cancer care,” Ms. Esplen said. “This is routine and (people) have a right to ask and reach out for support.”
That’s especially true as diagnostic tests, medical and surgical treatment become increasingly complex.
She said the wait for test results is one of the most stressful times for cancer patients and people who are already anxious can have trouble understanding the volume of information provided by doctors and others.