A Comprehensive Study of Cancer Survivor Syndrome in Adult Egyptian Patients With Hematological Neoplasms

According to the American Cancer Society the term cancer survivor refersto people who have no signs of cancer after finishing treatment, people receiving extended treatment over a longer period of time to control the cancer or reduce risk of its return, and people with advanced cancer. Most hematologic malignancies (HM) are incurable and typically follow unpredictable remitting-relapsing pathways associated with varying need for treatment, which may be distressing for patients. Distress symptoms and psychological disorders secondary to cancer have also been shown to have significant negative consequences for both the patient and the family.

Maladaptive coping and abnormal illness behavior have been associated with psychiatric conditions, with negative effects on adherence to treatment, health behavior, and quality of life (Grassi et al 2017). Moreover, an increased length of stay in the hospital and/or an increased time in rehabilitation have been found to be more common among patients showing psychiatric symptoms, especially depression, than those with normal adjustment to illness (Cordova et al 2017). Unfortunately, cancer-related distress is commonly underrecognized and subsequently undertreated especially for patients with HM in developing countries. Search in literature revealed several screening methods for the psychological consequences of cancer such as Distress Thermometer , Symptom related checklist questionnaire, Quality of life questionnaire, Coping strategies questionnaire. Also, guidelines for the management of psychological distress have been developed by several scientific cancer associations.