Promoting adjustment after treatment for cancer
Open Access
- 24 October 2005
- Vol. 104 (S11), 2608-2613
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.21246
Abstract
The transition from the period of diagnosis and medical treatment of cancer to survivorship (i.e., the reentry phase) is an understudied phase in the cancer trajectory. The objectives of this report were 1) to illustrate several adaptive tasks of the reentry phase, 2) to provide examples of research on factors that predict positive adjustment during this phase, and 3) to discuss interventions that address the adaptive tasks of early cancer survivorship. Although the pertinent empirical literature is scarce, accounts from cancer survivors, healthcare professionals, and qualitative researchers converge to suggest several themes in adaptive tasks during reentry. Drawing from the authors' work and that of others, the authors have described common expectancies held by many individuals approaching reentry (e.g., “I shouldn't need support”), typical concerns during this phase (e.g., concern over cancer recurrence), and personal and contextual factors that can facilitate and hinder adjustment. Promising psychosocial interventions have been developed for individuals in the reentry period. Continued research will be necessary to characterize this important phase of cancer survivorship. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.Keywords
This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit:
- The prevalence of psychological distress by cancer sitePsycho‐Oncology, 2001
- On the Self-Regulation of BehaviorPublished by Cambridge University Press (CUP) ,1998
- Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Women With Breast CancerPsychosomatics, 1998
- After treatment. Psychosocial issues in gynecologic cancer survivorshipCancer, 1995
- Functional Status of Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors:Health & Social Work, 1994
- Controlled prospective longitudinal study of women with cancer: II. Psychological outcomes.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1989
- Seasons of Survival: Reflections of a Physician with CancerNew England Journal of Medicine, 1985
- Psychosocial Status in Chronic IllnessNew England Journal of Medicine, 1984
- Psychological and social adjustment to mastectomy.A two-year follow-up studyCancer, 1977
- Social learning and clinical psychology.Published by American Psychological Association (APA) ,1954