Onco-psychology

A cancer diagnosis tests not only your physical health but also your psychological and emotional well-being. Studies show cancer patients often face psychological challenges, including anxiety, depression, distress and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as fear for their future. These feelings can strike the cancer patient’s loved ones as well.

At The University of Kansas Cancer Center, our comprehensive cancer care includes onco-psychology to help ensure the overall emotional well-being of our cancer patients. Our team of onco-psychology specialists, who are specially trained in the care of people with cancer, is here to support your mental healthcare needs during and after your treatment. We use proven psychological and medical treatments to help cancer patients reduce distress, improve quality of life and potentially increase survival.

It’s critical work, as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, research shows that 30% to 40% of people with cancer will struggle mentally and emotionally while managing their diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and side effects.

What is onco-psychology?

Onco-psychology addresses the psychological, behavioral, emotional and other social aspects that arise for people and their families when dealing with cancer. Onco-psychology differs from general psychology in that we focus on the concerns you have related to your cancer diagnosis and treatment.

A cancer diagnosis affects your emotional health as well as physical health, contributing to feelings of anxiety, depression, poor sleep, difficulty coping, relationship challenges and others. We will help you address a wide range of issues you might experience as part of your cancer journey, including:

• Cancer-related anxiety and depression 
• Treatment-related stress 
• Sleep and fatigue 
• Pain 
• Fear of recurrence 
• Cancer-related grief 
• Impact of diagnosis on relationships

Working with you, we will identify your specific needs and concerns, regardless of the type of cancer diagnosis you receive. Our team focuses on individualized care plans based on your particular needs. We work collaboratively with you and your care team to establish this care plan and develop appropriate interventions.

Who can receive onco-psychology?

Our onco-psychology services focus on people receiving cancer care at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. We inform you of and offer onco-psychology services at any point during your cancer treatment. As emotional distress varies throughout treatment, your oncology care team will assess your psychological and emotional needs during follow-up appointments. We offer both in-person and telehealth appointment options for inpatients and outpatients alike. Ask your cancer care team about a referral.

Caregivers and family members may take part in these appointments as the patient requests and as deemed therapeutically appropriate. We recognize the unique needs of family member-and-caregiver stress and will work to provide referral resources for your loved ones as well.

How does onco-psychology work?

We work with your cancer care team to develop the best combination of treatment options available for your personalized plan of onco-psychology care. We collaborate with a team of specialists to deliver the most efficient, effective treatment.

What are the benefits of onco-psychology?

As an integral part of your cancer care team, we provide compassionate mental healthcare that is seamlessly integrated into your overall treatment plan. Using evidence-based treatment approaches, we can help you with a wide range of challenges you may face while undergoing treatment, including offering coping strategies, behavioral techniques or medications for managing stress, anxiety, depression, sleep and more.

Our goal is to help equip you with the skills and support needed to get through treatment as smoothly as possible – and get back to doing the things you love.

What happens during an onco-psychology appointment?

Based on your diagnosis and the symptoms you are experiencing, we devise a treatment plan to address the specific ways the disease is impacting your life.

During your initial meeting with your onco-psychologist we will get to know you and your background, discuss the impact of your cancer diagnosis and treatment, and identify your specific areas of concern. We work with you and your cancer care team to collaboratively establish goals for care with follow-up plans put into place.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center offers comprehensive cancer treatment, which includes onco-psychology as a cancer rehabilitation service. Our onco-psychology specialists are dedicated to ensuring you receive the highest quality care and most personalized treatment options available. Our team of specialty-trained onco-psychologists provides some of the most advanced and efficient treatments to help give cancer patients the support and skills they need to smoothly navigate treatment.

Your care team will work to develop an individual onco-psychology plan for you based on your needs and goals with input from a variety of specialists.

We are the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Kansas and 1 of fewer than 60 in the United States. Patients treated at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers have a 25% greater chance of survival compared to other cancer centers. NCI-designated cancer centers are pioneers in cancer research, recognized for their scientific leadership, resources and depth of research in basic, clinical and population sciences. To maintain our NCI designation, we go through a rigorous, highly competitive process to demonstrate our contributions to reducing the cancer burden in our region and throughout Kansas and western Missouri.