Psychological care of cancer patients in the diagnostic and therapeutic care pathway: the experience of the AOU Alessandria


Submitted: 23 May 2024
Accepted: 8 July 2024
Published: 25 October 2024
Abstract Views: 304
PDF: 23
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

  • Simona Giribone SSA Psicologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1527-9626
  • Monica Franscini SSA Psicologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Valentina Manfredi SSA Psicologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Antonio Pepoli SSA Psicologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Patrizia Valorio SSA Psicologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Rossella Sterpone SSA Psicologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Maria Caterina Canepa Breast Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero- Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Maura Vincenti SC Oncologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Maura Rossi SC Oncologia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Antonio Maconi Infrastruttura Ricerca, Formazione e Innovazione (IRFI), Dipartimento Attività Integrate, Ricerca, Innovazione (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.

Cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular disease, even though technological advances have led to a significant increase in survival in recent years. Cancer patients, precisely because of the complexity and nature of the problems they face, need a global and integrated multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach in their diagnostic-therapeutic pathway.
The reference model is bio-psycho-social: the traditional body-centered medical model is replaced by a person-centered approach, with the integration of physical, psychological, and social dimensions of the individual.

Psycho-oncology is placed in this area of multidisciplinarity and multidimensionality, on one hand constantly interfacing with other medical disciplines, and on the other developing personalized care paths for the patient and his family, which consider not only phys- ical but also psychological, existential and welfare needs.
This article describes the activity of the Psychology service of the AOU AL in taking charge of cancer patients, from the moment of diagnosis (or diagnostic suspicion) throughout the treatment and follow-up pathway, with reference to the moments of evaluation/assessment and interdisciplinary comparison.


Ministero della Salute. Piano oncologico nazionale: documento di pianificazione e indirizzo per la prevenzione e il contrasto del cancro 2023-2027. 2023. Available from: www.salute.gov.it

Keller M, Sommerfeldt S, Fischer C, et al. Recognition of distress and psychiatric morbidity in cancer patients: a multi-method approach. Ann Oncol. 2004;15:1243-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdh318

Engel GL. The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science. 1977;196: 129-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.847460

Bolton D. A revitalized biopsychosocial model: core theory, research paradigms, and clinical implications. Psychol Med. 2023;53:7504-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723002660

Ostacoli L, Torta R. Percorso diagnostico terapeutico assistenziale in psicologia oncologica. 2009. Available from: https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/124888

Società Italiana di Psico-Oncologia. Standard, opzioni e raccomandazioni per una buona pratica psico-oncologica. 2011. Available from: https://www.siponazionale.it/pdf_2015/LineeGuida_SIPO_2015.pdf

Grassi L, Costantini A, Biondi M. Manuale pratico di psico-oncologia. Sfide ed evoluzione delle cure. Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore; Rome, Italy; 2023.

Holland J, Watson M, Dunn J. The IPOS new International Standard of Quality Cancer Care: integrating the psychosocial domain into routine care. Psychooncology. 2011;20:677-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1978

World Health Organization (WHO). International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems. 2021. Available from: https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/classification-of-diseases

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association Publishing; Washington, USA; 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787

Derogatis LR, Abeloff MD, McBeth CD. Cancer patients and their physicians in the perception of psychological symptoms. Psychosomatics 1976;17:197-201. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-3182(76)71116-2

Grassi L. La depressione nel cancro e nell'infezione da HIV. Franco Angeli; Milano, Italy; 1997.

Biondi M. Mente, cervello e sistema immunitario. Mc Graw-Hill; Milan, Italy; 1997.

Spiegel D, Giese-Davis J. Depression and cancer: mechanisms and disease progression. Biol Psychiatry. 2003;54:269-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(03)00566-3

Abbey G, Thompson SBN, Hickish T, Heathcote D. A meta-analysis of prevalence rates and moderating factors for cancer-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychooncology 2015;24:371-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3654

Andrykowski MA, Cordova MJ, Studts JL, Miller TW. Posttraumatic stress disorder after treatment for breast cancer: prevalence of diagnosis and use of the PTSD Checklist—Civilian Version (PCL—C) as a screening instrument. J Consult Clin Psychol 1998;66:586-90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006X.66.3.586

Shelby RA, Golden-Kreutz DM, Andersen BL. PTSD diagnoses, subsyndromal symptoms, and comorbidities contribute to impairments for breast cancer survivors. J Trauma Stress 2008;21:165-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20316

Chan CMH, Ng CG, Taib NA et al. Course and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder in a cohort of psychologically distressed patients with cancer: a 4-year follow-up study. Cancer. 2018;124:406-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.30980

Anderson D, Jones V. Psychological Intervention for cancer-related post-traumatic stress disorder: narrative review. Bulletin BJPsych. 2024;48:100-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2023.42

Ziegler L, Hill K, Neilly L, et al. Identifying psychological distress at key stages of the cancer illness trajectory: a systematic review of validated self-report measures. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2011;41:619-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.06.024

Giese-Davis J, Waller A, Carlson LE, et al. Screening for distress, the 6th vital sign: common problems in cancer outpatients over one year in usual care: associations with marital status, sex, and age. BMC Cancer. 2012;12:441. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-12-441

Riba MB, Donovan KA, Ahmed K, et al. NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Distress Management, Version 2.2023. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2023;21:450-7.

Van Beek FE, Wijnhoven LMA, Holtmaat K, et al. Psychological problems among cancer patients in relation to healthcare and societal costs: A systematic review. Psychooncology. 2021;30:1801-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5753

Solomon R, Macy R. La gestione dello stress da eventi critici. In: Psicotraumatologia e psicologia dell’emergenza. Ecomind; Salerno, Italy; 2003.

Faretta E. Trauma e malattia. L’EMDR in psiconcologia. Mimesis; Milan, Italy; 2014

Portigliatti Pomeri A, La Salvia A, Carletto S, et al. EMDR in cancer patients: a systematic review. Front Psychol. 2021;11:590204. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.590204

Guidano V. La complessità del sé. Bollati Boringhieri; Turin, Italy; 1987.

Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Assistenza psicosociale dei malati oncologici. Linee guida. 2023. Available from: https://www.aiom.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019_LG_AIOM_Psicosociali.pdf

Donovan KA, Deshields TL, Corbett C, Riba MB. Update on the Implementation of NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management by NCCN Member Institutions. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2019;17:1251-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2019.7358

Morasso G, Costantini M, Baracco G, et al. Assessing psychological distress in cancer patients: validation of a self-administered questionnaire. Oncology. 1996;53:295-302. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000227576

Stenberg U, Ruland CM, Miaskowski C. Review of the literature on the effects of caring for a patient with cancer. Psychooncology. 2010;19:1013-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1670

Justin P, Lamore K, Dorard G, Untas A. Are there young carers in oncology? A systematic review. Psychooncology. 2021;30:1430-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5708

Franzone P, Pastorino A, Carlevato R, et al. Il Gruppo Interdisciplinare Cure (GIC) sui tumori della mammella: l’esperienza dell’Azienda Ospedaliera di Alessandria. Working Paper of Public Health 2022;10:9518. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/wpph.2022.9518

APS Senonetwork Italia. Indicatori di qualità Senonetwork per la cura del tumore della mammella. 2023. Available from: https://www.senonetwork.it/eventi-news/news/+indicatori-di-qualita-senonetwork-per-la-cura-del-tumore-della-mammella/1-4306-0-

Rete Oncologica Piemonte – Valle d’Aosta. Progetto Protezione Famiglie Fragili, nuova struttura e organizzazione. 2022. Available from: www.reteoncologica.it

Arduino GM, Zanlungo M, Bertolotti M, et al. La presa in carico psicologica del paziente oncologico: uno studio di 3 anni sulle attività degli psiconcologi della Rete Oncologica Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta. Recenti Prog Med. 2022;113:674-9.

Istat. Rapporto annuale 2021. 2021. Available from: https://www.istat.it/evento/rapporto-annuale-2021/

Lai AG, Pasea L, Banerjee A, et al. Estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer services and excess 1-year mortality in people with cancer and multimorbidity: near real-time data on cancer care, cancer deaths and a population–based cohort study. BMJ Open 2020;10:e043828. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043828

Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Linee guida tumori nell’anziano. 2022. Available from: https://www.iss.it/documents/20126/8403839/LG-283-Tumori-Anziano_ed2022

Zhang Y, Mohile S, Culakova E, Norton S, et al. The shared uncertainty experience of older adults with advanced cancer and their caregivers. Psychooncology. 2022;31:1041-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5895

McManus S, Bebbington PE, Jenkins R, Brugha T.Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2014. 2014. Available from: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-survey/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-survey-survey-of-mental-health-and-wellbeing-england-2014

Grimmett C, Heneka N, Chambers S. Psychological Interventions Prior to Cancer Surgery: a Review of Reviews. Curr Anesthesiol Rep. 2022;12:78-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-021-00505-x

Giribone, S., Franscini, M., Manfredi, V., Pepoli, A., Valorio, P., Sterpone, R., Canepa, M. C., Vincenti, M., Rossi, M., & Maconi, A. (2024). Psychological care of cancer patients in the diagnostic and therapeutic care pathway: the experience of the AOU Alessandria. Working Paper of Public Health, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/wpph.2024.10050

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations


Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > >>