Psychiatric Symptoms in Oncological Patients at Nuclear Medicine Department

Objective: In the process of PET/CT scanning, patients go through a general evaluation while their medical history is being taken, but it is often overlooked that these patients should be evaluated not only biologically but also bio psychosocially. Psychiatric symptom profiles and help-seeking behaviours of cancer patients were examined in this study. Methods: Cancer patients presented to nuclear medicine clinic filled out sociodemographic data form, psychiatric admission evaluation form, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) form for psychiatric symptom screening. Results: In this study 27.8% of the patients had a Beck Depression score ≥18 and were in the risk group for depression, 31.7% of the patients experienced moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. Beck Depression Total and Beck Anxiety Total values were found significantly higher in women than in men. Only 10,2% of the cancer patients reported that they sought psychiatric help in the last 6 months. Among the patients who were risky for depression according to BDI only 25%  had been receiving psychiatric help and in among the patients who were risky for anxiety according to BAI only %26.9 had been receiving psychiatric help Conclusion: Nuclear Medicine physicians' interest in psychiatric symptoms and help-seeking behaviors of cancer patients referred to Nuclear Medicine Clinics is very important in terms of psycho-oncology.

Emotional "Patient-Oriented" Support in Young Patients With I-II Stage Breast Cancer: Pilot Study

Objective: The recent increased survival rate after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and treatment is mostly related to early screening in younger age. Evidence gained from newly detected assessed psychological needs as well as certain emotional regulatory patterns in younger survivors has been related in the literature to an extremely low rate of adherence to the psychological therapies offered. Tailored psychological support is necessary. The aim of the present study was to verify the preliminary efficacy of supportive psychological intervention with an innovative orientation: the Early BC Psychological Intervention (EBC-Psy).

Methods: A controlled study design was used to investigate the efficacy of EBC-Psy intervention. Preliminary data involved twenty-four patients in the age range of 35–50 years, diagnosed with cancer at the early stage (I–II), who were exposed to the EBC-Psy intervention. To address the effect of intervention, emotional variables were tested before the treatment (Time 1) and then again after 6 months of the treatment (Time 2); evaluated emotional dimensions were anxiety, anger, depression, and psychological distress.

Results: EBC-Psy intervention appears to be effective on both depression (p = 0.02) and psychological distress (p = 0.01), even in a short time, highlighting the strength of a reinforced positive psychological conceptual approach to deal with the “disease condition” in younger patients; on the contrary, the control group evidenced an increase in the same emotional variables in timing.

Conclusion: Our findings, even if limited by this small-scale protocol, seemed to confirm the role of positive psychotherapy after BC diagnosis and treatment through the impact of cognitive processes, coping strategies, and psychological resilience. Future theoretical framework could boost the intervention to design an innovative survivorship model.