Improving Mental Health and Quality of Life for Cancer Patients

Improving Mental Health and Quality of Life for Cancer Patients

ByHolly Zink

A study out of Greece suggests that recognizing and addressing demoralization early can help improve cancer patients’ mental health. The goal of the study was to look at how anxiety and depression affect cancer patients’ lives and health services. Measuring Anxiety and Depression The researchers in this study talked to 150 cancer patients from two cancer centers. They used survey tools to measure anxiety, depression, and demoralization. Demoralization is when someone feels like they have lost hope and are discouraged about their situation. Someone who is experiencing demoralization might have a hard time finding meaning in their life. People with mesothelioma often struggle with anxiety, depression, and demoralization. Mesothelioma is a cancer that forms in the lining of organs like…

Clinical Scan Anxiety before a Mesothelioma Medical Scan? You’re not Alone.

Clinical Scan Anxiety before a Mesothelioma Medical Scan? You’re not Alone.

ByHolly Zink

Many mesothelioma patients with advanced cancer have anxiety before a clinical scan. Clinicians have even coined this clinical scan anxiety as “scanxiety.” A new study published by Supportive Care in Cancer looked at the experiences of scans and scanxiety in patients with advanced cancer. They were looking for the best strategies to reduce clinical scan anxiety or scanxiety. The research team conducted interviews with 16 patients with advanced cancer. The team asked about anxiety felt during computed tomography (CT) scans for monitoring of their cancer. Anxiety About the Scan Experience and Scan Results For these patients, scans were viewed as a routine and normal part of cancer care. This is one of those “necessary evils” that is part of the…

Mesothelioma Doctors Urged to Sharpen Their Communication Skills
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Mesothelioma Doctors Urged to Sharpen Their Communication Skills

ByAlex Strauss

A Japanese study suggests that some mesothelioma doctors are falling short when it comes to communicating with their patients. The study was based on quality-of-life surveys of seventy-three pleural mesothelioma patients. Patients answered two open-ended questions about their care experience. The researchers say most concerns had to do with communication. Many patients said they wanted clearer explanations and more empathy from their mesothelioma doctors. Unique Challenges of Malignant Mesothelioma Coping with any type of cancer can be stressful and confusing. But mesothelioma presents some special challenges to both patients and mesothelioma doctors.   Pleural mesothelioma is a rare and complex malignancy with a poor prognosis. No single treatment is likely to help. On top of this, mesothelioma symptoms such as…