Cancer Related Distress

Cancer related distress is a complex psychosocial phenomenon that has consequences for patients, their families as well as the healthcare staff. Thus, the importance of prevention, early recognition, treatment, and management is unquestionable. Cancer-related distress is defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) as “a multifactorial unpleasant emotional experience of a psychological (cognitive, behavioral, emotional), social, and/or spiritual nature that may interfere with the ability to cope effectively with cancer, its physical symptoms, and its treatment. Distress extends along a continuum, ranging from common normal feelings of vulnerability, sadness, and fears to problems that can become disabling, such as depression, anxiety, panic, social isolation, and existential and spiritual crisis.”