Targeting the Psychosexual Challenges Faced by Couples with Breast Cancer: Can Couples Group Psychotherapy Help?

The need for the psychosexual rehabilitation of breast cancer survivors and their intimate partners is underscored by the high prevalence of multiple psychosexual difficulties encountered by this patient population. Concerns about health, sexuality, and emotional distress are common among women with breast cancer and are often related to the side effects of cancer treatment. Additionally, both intimate relationship problems and partners' distress are likely to influence patients' psychosexual health.

The relationship of purpose in life and hope in shaping happiness among patients with cancer in Poland.

The authors investigated the relationship of purpose of life, and hope in the happiness and life satisfaction of patients with cancer during or following cancer treatment. Fifty cancer patients were interviewed during recovery in two Warsaw medical centers. The primary measures used were Purpose in Life Test, Herth Hope Index, Happiness and Social Well-Being tools by Czapiński, and the Cantril Ladder of Satisfaction with Life, as well as medical and demographic measures.

Effects of supportive-expressive group therapy on pain in women with metastatic breast cancer.

Objective: To examine whether a group intervention including hypnosis can reduce cancer pain and trait hypnotizability would moderate these effects.

Design: This randomized clinical trial examined the effects of group therapy with hypnosis (supportive-expressive group therapy) plus education compared to an education-only control condition on pain over 12 months among 124 women with metastatic breast cancer.

Main Outcome Measures: Pain and suffering, frequency of pain, and degree of constant pain were assessed at baseline and 4-month intervals.

Historical threads in the development of oncology social work.

As the Association of Oncology Social Work celebrates its 25th year, we pause to reflect on the many historical threads that contributed to its development and hear from each of the presidents who helped create the organization, as we know it today. Set within hospitals, medical social work was born in the early 20th century. In the 1940s medical social work became necessary for hospital accreditation.

Concerns about sexuality after breast cancer.

Cancer treatment, especially chemotherapy, creates changes in the female body that affect sexual desire, sexual functioning, and emotional relationships. Although healthy women also experience physiological changes leading to menopause, these changes occur gradually leaving them sexually active 5 to 10 years longer and with fewer problems in sexual functioning. Studies show that breast cancer patients experience sexual problems soon after treatment, and continue in follow-up.