International Psycho-Oncology Society Research Articles

Progress toward integrating Distress as the Sixth Vital Sign: a global snapshot of triumphs and tribulations in precision supportive care

Abstract Background: The International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) recognizes psychosocial cancer care as a universal human right. IPOS emphasized that distress should be measured as the 6th Vital Sign alongside temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and pain. To date, >75 cancer care organizations and accreditation bodies have endorsed screening, monitoring, and treating the multifactorial symptoms of distress as an essential component to high-quality care. The degree to which this international commitment has translated into the integration of precision supportive care within clinical settings is unknown. Methods: Building upon a 2018 IPOS World Congress Symposium, this commentary provides 4 snapshots into the progress made toward integrating precision supportive care in India, Australia, Europe, and the United States. The commentary demonstrates the different approaches taken to develop screening practices or overcome barriers to comprehensive precision supportive care. Results: Although psychosocial cancer care is a universal right, service and patient barriers to implementation remain, such as: inadequate workforce distribution and service investment in psychosocial care; siloed teams and limited communication skills; and cultural challenges. Recurrent themes emerged which can be used to invigorate commitment to IPOS standards: ongoing capacity building of the international psycho-oncology community; supporting communication skills training and encouraging programmatic thinking within services; and advocating for ongoing investment in precision supportive care through evaluation and strong clinical leadership. Conclusions: In examining 4 unique settings, the commentary recognizes the geographic variation in health care resources and social contexts of cancer care alongside cultural perspectives on psychosocial distress, screening methods, and the value of precision supportive care.

Long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of blended cognitive behavior therapy for high fear of recurrence in breast, prostate and colorectal Cancer survivors: follow-up of the SWORD randomized controlled trial

BackgroundBlended cognitive behaviour therapy (bCBT) is an effective treatment for fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in curatively-treated breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors with high FCR. However, long-term outcomes are unknown. This study investigated the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of bCBT compared with care as usual (CAU).MethodsEighty-eight cancer survivors with high FCR (Cancer Worry Scale ≥14) were randomly assigned to bCBT (n = 45) or CAU (n = 43). Data were collected at baseline and at three, nine and fifteen months from baseline and analysed by modified intention-to-treat. Efficacy was investigated with linear mixed-effects models. Cost-effectiveness was investigated from a societal perspective by comparing costs with quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs).ResultsParticipants who received bCBT reported significantly lower FCR compared with CAU (mean difference of − 1.787 [95% CI -3.251 to − 0.323, p = 0.017] at 15 months follow-up), and proportionally greater self-rated and clinically significant improvement at each follow-up measurement. Total QALYs were non-significantly different between conditions when adjusted for utility score baseline differences (0.984 compared to 0.957, p = 0.385), while total costs were €631 lower (95% CI -1737 to 2794, p = 0.587). Intervention costs of bCBT were €466. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio amounted to an additional €2049 per QALY gained, with a 62% probability that bCBT is cost-effective at a willingness to pay (WTP) threshold of €20,000 per QALY. Results were confirmed in sensitivity analyses.ConclusionsbCBT for cancer survivors with FCR is clinically and statistically more effective than CAU on the long-term. In addition, bCBT is a relatively inexpensive intervention with similar costs and QALYs as CAU.Trial registrationThe RCT was registered in the Dutch National Trial Register (NTR4423) on 12-Feb-2014. This abstract was previously presented at the International Psycho-Oncology Society conference of 2018 and published online. (Psycho-oncology, 27(S3):8-55; 2018)

Andrea Farkas Patenaude (1946–2018).

Presents an obituary for Andrea Farkas Patenaude (1946-2018). Patenaude was a pioneer in pediatric and adult psycho-oncology. Researcher, clinician, administrator, educator, mentor, and ardent patient advocate, she was a brilliant scientist-practitioner. She combined the highest academic standards with compassionate care for patients and families, demonstrating the important role psychologists can have in cutting-edge medical care. She was a founding member of the Pediatric Oncology Group Psychology Committee (later, COG Behavioral Science). At Harvard Medical School, she chaired the 2008 Joint Committee on the Status of Women. As Vice-Chair of the Psychosocial Committee, International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), she worked to expose and end hospital detentions of children, to improve pediatric medical care internationally, and to increase collaboration with the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Jimmie Holland: The founder, developer, and the soul of the International Psycho-Oncology Society.

Jimmie Holland: The founder, developer, and the soul of the International Psycho-Oncology Society.

2016 President's Plenary International Psycho-Oncology Society: challenges and opportunities for growing and developing psychosocial oncology programmes worldwide.

Consistent with the International Psycho-Oncology Society's (IPOS) vision and goals, we are committed to improving quality cancer care and cancer policies through psychosocial care globally. As part of IPOS's mission, upon entering "Official Relations" for a second term with the World Health Organization (WHO), IPOS has dedicated much attention to reaching out to countries, which lack formalized psychosocial care programmes. One of IPOS's strategies to accomplish this goal has been to bring psycho-oncology training programmes to low- and middle-income countries and regions. To this end, the IPOS Board approved a new position on the Board of Directors for a member from a low- to middle-income country (LMIC). The IPOS 2016 President's Plenary focused on challenges and opportunities that exist in growing and developing psychosocial oncology programmes worldwide. The plenary presentations highlight how IPOS and WHO have aligned their goals to help LMICs support cancer patients as an essential element of cancer and palliative care. IPOS country representatives are strongly supported in liaising with national health authorities and with WHO Country Representatives in LMICs. The plenary speakers discussed the role IPOS Federation has taken in building a global network of psychosocial leaders and the impact this had in assisting LMICs in meeting IPOS's psychosocial care objectives. The plenary highlighted the challenges of expanding psychosocial reach into these countries. One significant question remains: Can psychosocial guidelines be adapted to LMICs and regions?

First person: Jimmie Holland, MD

First person: Jimmie Holland, MD

Lessons learned from the science of caring: Extending the reach of psychosocial oncology: The International Psycho-Oncology Society 2016 Sutherland Award Lecture.

In medicine, referral to a medical oncology specialty is based on recent history, physical examination, pathology, surgery reports, imaging, blood work, and the patient's vital signs. By contrast, referral to a psychosocial specialist has typically been based on the patients expressed request for psychosocial support or the health care team's observation of the patient's limited adjustment or poor coping with the diagnosis, treatment, or end-of-life distress. These observations are usually based on clinical acumen not on metrics. In psychosocial oncology, by committing to the science of caring and relying on the use of standardized tools to screen for distress, the multidisciplinary cancer care team assess, communicate, and intervene on what is measured. That is, health care providers can begin to address the patients' identified concerns. Branding distress as the 6th vital sign and incorporating screening for distress into standard cancer practice can be an effective strategy to challenging the resistance in implementation of psychosocial oncology in cancer care institutions. Accreditation agencies are endorsing the need to assess patient distress and better manage symptoms of distress as part of routine and standardized patient care. While many international organizations and societies support the importance of screening, implementing screening for distress still has a long way to go to be operationalized in many cancer care programs. Screening for distress when implemented does, however, create an opportunity for psychosocial oncology to extend its reach into cancer care programs and institutions.

Recipes to remember: international cookbook of comfort foods. Editors: Jimmie Holland and Maggie Watson. Publisher: International Psychooncology Society & Cookbook Publishers. 2015. 68 pages. $15.00.

Recipes to remember: international cookbook of comfort foods. Editors: Jimmie Holland and Maggie Watson. Publisher: International Psychooncology Society & Cookbook Publishers. 2015. 68 pages. $15.00.

Balancing health care needs in a changing context: nursing highlights from the 2016 European Oncology Nursing Society Congress (EONS10), 17-18 October 2016, Dublin, Ireland.

European cancer nurses have to face many challenges as a result of the rapidly changing economic and political context in which balancing health care needs has become strategic for healthcare delivery. Currently, cancer nurses must overcome many obstacles arising from clinical, organisational, and educational issues. Within this scenario, the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) shaped its tenth congress programme to boost discussion and reflections, to share experiences and research, and to see how cancer nurses try to anticipate and embrace changes. The aim of this was to promote innovative solutions and to address the many issues involved with cancer care.EONS10 was held on 17–18 October in Dublin, Ireland. The congress was attended by more than 500 delegates. The programme covered the following themes: caring for families and carers, inequalities and access to cancer care, caring for patients with haematological cancers, palliative care, communication and information exchange, community cancer care (i.e. parallel sessions), roles and responsibility for advanced nursing practice, International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS)-Academy workshops (i.e. workshops), cancer survivorship, clinical leadership and new roles, oncology nursing research, symptom experiences and management, palliative care (i.e. proffered papers), poster presentations, and satellite symposia. The aim of this paper is to highlight and discuss the contents of the EONS10 congress.

NU02.01 Preparing Patients for Treatment. Providing Psychosocial Support for Lung Cancer Patients Preparing to Enter Treatment

NU02.01 Preparing Patients for Treatment. Providing Psychosocial Support for Lung Cancer Patients Preparing to Enter Treatment

2015 President's Plenary International Psycho-oncology Society: psychosocial care as a human rights issue-challenges and opportunities.

The International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) Human Rights Task Force has been working since 2008 to raise awareness and support, for the relevance of psychosocial cancer care as a human rights issue. In 2014 the "Lisbon Declaration: Psychosocial Cancer Care as a Universal Human Right" was fully endorsed by IPOS. Subsequently, the IPOS Standard on Quality Cancer Care, endorsed by 75 cancer organizations worldwide, has been updated and now includes 3 core principles: Psychosocial cancer care should be recognised as a universal human right; Quality cancer care must integrate the psychosocial domain into routine care; Distress should be measured as the 6th vital sign. The President's plenary held at the 2015 World Congress of Psycho-Oncology in Washington DC was devoted to discussing psychosocial care as a human rights issue. Many challenges and opportunities are illustrated in different continents and contexts: from Africa where resources for basic cancer treatment are scarce and children and their parents face significant difficulties with hospital detention practices; to Europe where for many countries psychosocial care is still seen as a luxury; and the Middle East where Muslim women face stigma and a culture of silence over cancer. We further discuss how to move the Lisbon Declaration forward towards its implementation into clinical practice globally, using the successful example of the World Health Assembly resolution supporting palliative care as a human right which has achieved widespread approval, and identifying the vital role the IPOS Federation of National Psychoncology Societies plays worldwide to move this agenda forward.

Defense mechanisms and coping style at very next diagnostic period in advanced and metastatic cancer.

e21610Background: In 2009, the International PsychoOncology Society endorsed distress as the sixth vital sign in cancer care, cancerrelated distress is common at pivotal periods the diagnostic, tre...

Abstracts of the 2015 World Congress of Psycho-Oncology (a joint conference of the International Psycho-Oncology Society and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society) 28 July - 1 August 2015 Washington, DC, USA.

Psycho-OncologyVolume 24, Issue S2 p. 1-103 AbstractFree Access Abstracts First published: 20 July 2015 https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3873Citations: 7AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Citing Literature Volume24, IssueS2Special Issue: Abstracts of the 2015 World Congress of Psycho-Oncology (a joint conference of the International Psycho-Oncology Society and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society) 28 July – 1 August 2015 Washington, DC, USAJuly 2015Pages 1-103 RelatedInformation

2014 President's plenary international psycho‐oncology society: moving toward cancer care for the whole patient

The International Psycho-oncology Society (IPOS) has just celebrated its 30th anniversary. The growth of psychosocial oncology has been exponential, and this relatively new field is becoming a core service that focuses on prevention, reducing the burden of cancer, and enhancing the quality of life from time of diagnosis, through treatment, survivorship, and palliative care. Looking back over the past 30 years, we see that cancer care globally has evolved to a new and higher standard. Today, 'cancer care for the whole patient' is being accomplished with an evidence-based model that addresses psychosocial needs and integrates psycho-oncology into the treatment and care of patients. The President's Plenary Session in Lisbon, Portugal, highlighted the IPOS Mission of promoting global excellence in psychosocial care of people affected by cancer through our research, public policy, advocacy, and education. The internationally endorsed IPOS Standard of Quality Cancer Care, for example, clearly states the necessity of integrating the psychosocial domain into routine care, and that distress should be measured as the sixth vital sign after temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and pain. The plenary paper also discussed the global progress being made in Europe, North America, and Australia in providing quality cancer care for the whole patient. Collaborative partnerships between IPOS and organizations such as the European Partnership Action Against Cancer and the World Health Organization are essential in building capacity for the delivery of high-quality psycho-oncology services in the future.

2013 President's Plenary International Psycho-oncology Society: embracing the IPOS standards as a means of enhancing comprehensive cancer care.

The second President's Plenary at the 2013 International Psycho-oncology Society's World Congress in Rotterdam, the Netherlands aimed to progress and, where needed, initiate changes to achieve comprehensive cancer care. Recent initiatives have been driven by the need to see psychosocial care as an integrated part of holistic multidisciplinary quality cancer care. The President's Plenary session covered the need for the following: An internationally agreed standard of quality cancer care, which includes psychosocial care for patients and their families and caregivers. An endorsement to assess distress as the 6th vital sign. Psycho-oncology professionals to integrate into a federation promoting better national and international outcomes. This overview highlights progress in terms of enhanced communication between and within different professionals groups supporting the implementation of a model of comprehensive patient care that is inclusive of psychosocial support and screening for distress. Tasks and challenges for the future are set out but the primary message is of the importance of collaboration in order to achieve recognition that psychosocial care is integrated into comprehensive cancer care; in this way, patient, family and carer needs can be more appropriately met.

The International Endorsement of US Distress Screening and Psychosocial Guidelines in Oncology: A Model for Dissemination

The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Distress Management have, since 1997, called for routine screening of distress in patients with cancer. Following the example of pain as the fifth vital sign, the case for using the concept of distress as the sixth vital sign was made by leading psycho-oncologists in 2007. Cancer care organizations in Canada and the International Psycho-Oncology Society have adopted the NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management and have named distress screening as the sixth vital sign, thereby encouraging cancer care clinicians to think of screening for distress when they screen for pain and other vital signs. Using the evidence integration triangle, this article explores the dissemination of the notion of distress as the sixth vital sign in an international context. This exploration shows that NCCN and similar organizations can adopt the evidence integration triangle in its next phase of moving toward full implementation of the NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management.

Policy statement on multidisciplinary cancer care

BackgroundCancer care is undergoing an important paradigm shift from a disease-focused management to a patient-centred approach, in which increasingly more attention is paid to psychosocial aspects, quality of life, patients’ rights and empowerment and survivorship. In this context, multidisciplinary teams emerge as a practical necessity for optimal coordination among health professionals and clear communication with patients. The European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC), an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2009, addressed the multidisciplinary care from a policy perspective in order to define the core elements that all tumour-based multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) should include. To that effect, a working group conference was held in January 2013 within the EPAAC Work Package 7 (on Healthcare) framework. MethodsThe consensus group consisted of high-level representatives from the following European scientific societies, patient associations and stakeholders: European CanCer Organisation (ECCO), European SocieTy for Radiology & Oncology (ESTRO), European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS), International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS),European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC), EuropaColon, Europa Donna - The European Breast Cancer Coalition, Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), EUSOMA - European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists, European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE) and EPAAC Work Packages 5 (Health promotion and prevention), 7, 8 (Research), 9 (Information systems) and 10 (Cancer plans). A background document with a list of 26 core issues drawn from a systematic review of the literature was used to guide the discussion. Five areas related to MDTs were covered: care objectives, organisation, clinical assessment, patients’ rights and empowerment and policy support. Preliminary drafts of the document were widely circulated for consultation and amendments by the working group before final approval. ResultsThe working group unanimously formulated a Policy Statement on Multidisciplinary Cancer Care to define the core elements that should be implemented by all tumour-based MDTs. This document identifies MDTs as the core component in cancer care organisation and sets down the key elements to guide changes across all European health systems. ConclusionMDTs are an essential instrument of effective cancer care policy, and their continued development crucial to providing patients the care they need and deserve. While implementation must remain in local hands, European health systems can still benefit from having a basis for an effective multidisciplinary model of cooperation. This policy statement is intended to serve as a reference for policymakers and healthcare providers who wish to improve the services currently provided to the cancer patients whose lives and well-being depend on their action.

2012 President's Plenary International Psycho‐Oncology Society: future directions in psycho‐oncology

AbstractThe inaugural President's Plenary was held at the 2012 International Psycho‐oncology Society's World Congress in Brisbane to provide a platform for dissemination of important initiatives and achievements of interest to cancer professionals globally. The vision of the International Psycho‐oncology Society – clarified and defined in 2004 – is that all cancer patients and their families throughout the world should receive optimal psychosocial care at all stages of disease and survivorship. Recent initiatives have been driven by the need to see psychosocial care available as a seamless part of holistic multidisciplinary quality cancer care and life‐extending lifestyle changes promoted and supported through the expertise of behavioural and social scientists. In keeping with World Health Organization targets that there is ‘no health without mental health’, cancer health must include mental health. This is in line with the patients' declaration to ‘See us – not our disease’. The aim is to ensure that within the next decade, psychosocial care is acknowledged as a vital part of the patient journey and accepted globally as good practice within cancer care. The President's Plenary session covered the need for the following:Behavioural and social scientists to be integral to the planned lifestyle changes that the United Nations agreed, at a high‐level meeting in 2011, to reduce world cancer incidence and morbidity over the next decade;An internationally agreed standard of quality cancer care that includes psychosocial care for patients and their families and carers;An endorsement to assess distress as the 6th vital sign;A declaration that mental health within cancer health is a human right;Psycho‐oncology professionals to integrate into a federation promoting better national and international outcomes; strength in numbers speaking with a unified voice.The aim is to encourage dialogue between all cancer professionals and patient representatives to progress these targets; everyone has a voice. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Depression and anxiety in long-term cancer survivors compared with spouses and healthy controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cancer survival has improved in the past 20 years, affecting the long-term risk of mood disorders. We assessed whether depression and anxiety are more common in long-term survivors of cancer compared with their spouses and with healthy controls. We systematically searched Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Science Direct, Ingenta Select, Ovid, and Wiley Interscience for reports about the prevalence of mood disorders in patients diagnosed with cancer at least 2 years previously. We also searched the records of the International Psycho-oncology Society and for reports that cited relevant references. Three investigators independently extracted primary data. We did a random-effects meta-analysis of the prevalences of depression and anxiety in cancer patients compared with spouses and healthy controls. Our search returned 144 results, 43 were included in the main analysis: for comparisons with healthy controls, 16 assessed depression and ten assessed anxiety; of the comparisons with spouses, 12 assessed depression and five assessed anxiety. The prevalence of depression was 11·6% (95% CI 7·7-16·2) in the pooled sample of 51 381 cancer survivors and 10·2% (8·0-12·6) in 217 630 healthy controls (pooled relative risk [RR] 1·11, 95% CI 0·96-1·27; p=0·17). The prevalence of anxiety was 17·9% (95% CI 12·8-23·6) in 48 964 cancer survivors and 13·9% (9·8-18·5) in 226 467 healthy controls (RR 1·27, 95% CI 1·08-1·50; p=0·0039). Neither the prevalence of depression (26·7% vs 26·3%; RR 1·01, 95% CI 0·86-1·20; p=0·88) nor the prevalence of anxiety (28·0% vs 40·1%; RR 0·71, 95% CI 0·44-1·14; p=0·16) differed significantly between cancer patients and their spouses. Our findings suggest that anxiety, rather than depression, is most likely to be a problem in long-term cancer survivors and spouses compared with healthy controls. Efforts should be made to improve recognition and treatment of anxiety in long-term cancer survivors and their spouses. None.

DSM-5 Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders: Implications for Screening for Cancer-Related Stress

It is well documented that being diagnosed and treated for cancer is understandably, a challenging experience associated with heightened distress. To this end, in 2009, the International Psycho-Oncology Society endorsed distress as the sixth vital sign in cancer care (1). Indeed, cancer-related distress is common at pivotal periods in the prototypical trajectory of a cancer patients’ experience (including the diagnostic, treatment, recovery, and recurrence phases); and ranges on a continuum from normal, acute responses which may comprise initial fear post-diagnosis, to more severe, potentially chronic stress reactions that adversely impact functionality and general well-being. Therefore, in the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness such as cancer was included for the first time as a potential traumatic event that could induce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (2). Since 1994, there has been a proliferation of studies investigating the prevalence and characteristics of cancer-related PTSD (ca-PTSD) [see reviews, (3, 4)]. The majority of research has been based on self-report questionnaires which has tended to inflate the rates of ca-PTSD (with prevalence rates as high as 55%) compared to studies that have used the gold-standard assessment method of structured, clinical diagnostic interviews (4). In fact, the prevalence rate for ca-PTSD has been documented to be considerably lower when utilizing the latter approach, ranging from 0 to 22% (3). With the Fifth Edition of DSM [DSM-5; (5)], there are some notable changes to screening for stress-related disorders and which have important implications for screening cancer patients and survivors. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the changes to the PTSD criteria in DSM 5, and the repercussions this has for screening, assessment, and treatment practices for cancer-related stress problems.