Abstract
At a time when patients are challenged to cope adaptively with both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, clinicians need to respond appropriately to the many inevitable questions about the causes of cancer and contributing factors, including Is this my fault? . The evidence guiding answers to such questions has been confounded by many methodological challenges, but personality, stress and life events are no longer considered causes of cancer. However, social isolation, untreated depression and social deprivation continue to influence quality of life and reduce cancer survival times. Psychiatry might play a role in promoting lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of cancer, but more importantly it can influence disease progression by optimising patients adaptation to the many challenges that cancer brings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 281 - 288 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Advances in Psychiatric Treatment |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
