A cancer patient may experience emotional distress when dealing with his or her diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Although these negative feelings are typical, more than one third of all cancer patients experience distress so severe that it may interfere with their ability to cope with the disease and to follow treatment recommendations.
In response to this problem, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), in partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS), has released Distress Treatment Guidelines for Patients, a booklet that addresses the emotional turmoil -- from powerlessness and anxiety to sadness and fear -- experienced by many cancer patients. Distress may also cause physical symptoms, such as a loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, or difficulty thinking clearly -- all issues addressed in the guidelines.
Developed by a multidisciplinary panel of more than 20 experts, these guidelines were designed to help cancer patients, their families, and caregivers understand and respond to the range of emotions they may be facing. As the first and only resource of its kind, these guidelines fill a long-standing void in cancer care.
"In today's busy oncology practices, where most cancer care is given, doctors are often too busy to ask about distress. And patients are reluctant to bring up issues other than their cancer treatment," explains Jimmie Holland, MD, a psychiatrist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and chair of the blue-ribbon panel that developed the guidelines. "These guidelines will help support critical patient-doctor communications and increase the success of cancer therapies by helping patients stick with their treatments."
At the heart of these guidelines is the "Distress Thermometer," a screening tool to help patients measure their level of distress on a user-friendly 0-10 scale. This self-test is an easy way for patients to differentiate between the normal distress (a score below 5) and a more significant form of distress (a score above 5), which may require additional support.
The guidelines also include coping "Do's and Don'ts" and decision-tree flow charts to help patients track and evaluate their distress. Additionally, for patients with moderate to severe distress, this booklet provides resources that are available to help them effectively manage their distress.
Originally developed by the NCCN for cancer specialists, Distress Treatment Guidelines for Patients has now been translated by the ACS for the general public in English and Spanish versions. These guidelines are available free online at http://www.cancer.org/downloads/CRI/NCCN_Distress.pdf or can be ordered by phone from the American Cancer Society at 800-ACS-2345.
Patients and their families also can call the American Psychosocial Oncology Society Helpline, 866-APOS-4-HELP, for mental health resources in their community with expertise in cancer.
