Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The number of cancer survivors in the U.S. and worldwide is increasing rapidly because of ongoing advances in early detection and treatment as well as aging of the population.In 2022, more than 18 million Americans (5.4% of the U.S. population) were living with a history of cancer, of whom the majority were diagnosed within the past 10 years. 1 This number is expected to increase by more than 40% to 26 million people by the year 2040. 1 Cancer survivors are also living longer, with the overall 5-year survival across all cancer sites now approaching 70%. 2 Globally, 20 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year.3 Follow-up care for the growing population of cancer survivors will continue to be a major public health challenge.Psychosocial distress in spouses of cancer patients is an important but often hidden morbidity in cancer survivorship care.The stress of cancer diagnosis, treatment, side effects, financial burden, and fear of recurrence may cause substantial distress not only in patients but also their spouses.Moreover, the majority of all caregiving for cancer patients is provided by family caregivers, most commonly by spouses.4 Providing care for a cancer patient is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding, and requires skills and stamina for which spouses often have little or no preparation or support.The stresses of caregiving can have profound impacts on the spouse's mental and physical health.5 This in turn may lead to a vicious circle in which psychosocial distress in the spouse adversely affects quality of life and long-term outcomes for both the spouse and the cancer patient.6,7 Despite their growing importance, mental health outcomes in spouses of cancer patients have long been neglected in both research and clinical care.Little research funding is devoted to understanding these outcomes, and until recently much of our knowledge was based on cross-sectional studies with small sample sizes.Large population-based longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate long-term outcomes in spouses or partners, which is essential for developing effective interventions for the growing number of couples who are coping with cancer diagnosis and treatment.Most importantly, psychosocial distress is treatable with appropriate support.Early detection and intervention can help alleviate
Source: JAMA Oncology
Authors: Casey Crump, Weiva Sieh
Language: English
Topic: Cancer survivorship and care
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G1797729427
OpenAlex ID: W4401611283