PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE FOR CANCER-PATIENTS - A NEW HOLISTIC PSYCHOSOMATIC APPROACH IN ACUTE-CARE AND REHABILITATION

The Tumor Biology Center is an innovative model institution for cancer treatment and research which includes basic and applied research inst itutions and two different types of clinics: an acute care hospital (8 0 beds) and a rehabilitation hospital (120 beds). The department for p syche-oncology is an integrated part of the two hospitals and consists of a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, a social worker, a musi c therapist, an art therapist and an occupational therapist. The psych osocial care program uses different kinds of group therapy, as well as counselling and psychotherapy with the patients and their spouses. Th e psychosocial treatment approach is patient-oriented and aimed at the improvement of the patients coping skills and the psychological manag ement of cancer-referred symptoms such as pain, anxiety or side effect s of chemotherapy. The programs are described with regard to the psych osomatic treatment approach of the whole center and the peculiarities of the two different settings (acute care and rehabilitation).