PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER

Psychosocial guidance in patients with gynecological cancer means to o ffer help to cope with the disease. Paramount goals include informatio n about the disease, dietary measurements, physical rehabilitations pr ograms, and emotional support for the person affected and her family. Psychotherapy in cancer patients differs from classical psychoanalytic al psychotherapy by a more casual setting, less abstinence, goals othe r than cure, a more direct approach in technique, and different traini ng and qualification of the therapist. Goals to be achieved might be s tabilizing the patient's self-esteem, helping her to get a new orienta tion towards what is left of her life, and strengthen her social statu s. Trying to understand the psychosomatic, i.e. psychological etiology of oncologic disease involves individual interpretation of life event s, forms of adaptation, and the specifity of a somatic response. Diffe rent methods of psychological intervention are depicted (relaxation th erapy, the Simonton method, group psychotherapy including self-help gr oups, and individual psychotherapy). The different goals of patients a nd therapists are described. A critical review is given on theories of the so-called cancer personality as well as a historical review of th e psychoanalytical theory of disease. Some of the very few reports on individual psychotherapy, especially psychoanalyses in women dying of cancer, are mentioned. Therapists working with terminally ill patients should display a high degree of introspection to avoid overestimation of their own ability.