Cancer-related anxiety, COVID-19, and the oncologist: the formation of a 'Balint' process group.

Abstract

The management of anxiety and distress in patients with cancer is stressful for the oncology clinicians who treat them [1]. Unfortunately, psychosocial care for patients with cancer is not universally available or standardized [2]. Referrals from oncology services to psychological serves are often not initiated early enough, may not be encouraged from medicine or surgical services, and are subsequently foregone or patients do not follow up beyond a single appointment [3]. As purveyors of cancer-related information, oncologists often find themselves in situations where their patients are reluctant to engage psychosocial care for various reasons (e.g., stigma, additional appointments, or just prioritizing oncology care] but remain highly symptomatic, which can be disruptive to their quality of life, their families, and following through with their oncology care [4,5]. The consequence is detrimental to their overall quality of life and cancer related mortality and places undue stresses on primary oncology services who are not equipped to manage complicated psychological stressors of their patients [6]. Inadvertently, distress is easily transmitted to cancer care teams and oncologists who are caring for them [7,8].