Psychology 2036A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Drug Tolerance, Pain Management, Metastasis

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2036A/B
• Professor: Yves Bureau

Document Summary

Illness burden for cancer: cancer diagnosis: response may be denial or death sentence, patients cope with aggressive treatments with unpleasant side effects. Suffering may occur in three areas: physical: fatigue, pain, side effects of treatment, types: illness caused and treatment caused, psychological (accounts for about 44%, depression and fear. Cancer and psychological distress: depression and anxiety are common, negative consequences of depression, poorer quality of life, reduced compliance, longer hospital stays, higher mortality rates, greater reported pain, cancer related depression. Linked to intrusive cognitions: unwanted thoughts related to memories of cancer: results in poorer coping due to anxiety, sense of hopelessness, helplessness. Treatment of cancer: responses: radical surgery: requires removal of considerable amount of normal tissue, can impact appearance and autonomy, e. g. , radical breast mastectomy. Side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy do harm to healthy cells: fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, pain, increased risk of infection, anticipatory nausea: onset prior to treatment as a result of conditioning.