title: Psychosocial care for cancer patients--too little, too late?
abstract: Assessment of psychosocial and psychiatric needs is an increasingly important component of cancer care. Clinical experience with patients indicate that distress, anxiety and depression are prevalent from early stages of the illness. Strategies to enhance psychosocial care are presented and these include early identification through screening, training for healthcare staff working with cancer patients and support not only for patients but their caregivers as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore. medrm@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: Rathi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahendran
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wuan
authors.forename: Emily N K
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: Siew Eng
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Ee Heok
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kua
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D001008:Anxiety Disorders; D017028:Caregivers; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology