7.3.3 Anxiety
Although the experience of anxiety is a normal response when people learn they
have cancer or in the case of recurrence or treatment failure, patients who
continue to experience high levels of anxiety for weeks or months should be
referred to a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, or psychiatric
social worker for evaluation and possible treatment. Some patients with cancer
have long-standing or chronic anxiety disorders, such as phobias and panic
disorder, that can be exacerbated by the stressors of cancer illness or
treatment. Claustrophobic patients may experience acute anxiety when confined
in diagnostic scanning devices or radiotherapy treatment rooms (Brennan, Redd,
Jacobsen, et al., 1988). Patients who experience such acute anxiety or
exacerbations of chronic anxiety disorders may require the use of medications
such as benzodiazepines or cognitive-behavioral therapies to help them tolerate
procedures.
Relaxation and Imagery
Distraction and Reframing
Psychotherapy and Structured Support
Hypnosis
Peer Support Groups
Neurosurgery
Patients with Psychiatric Problems Associated with Cancer Pain
Suicide and Cancer Pain
Index