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  Filling the Gaps in Psychological   Support for Cancer Patients by Stephen May   The psychological impact of a diagnosis of cancer is well recognised — up to one in four people with cancer will suffer clinically significant distress. Families and caregivers of cancer patients also frequently experience emotional strain, grappling with guilt, helplessness, and an overwhelming caregiving burden. Addressing these psychological concerns is crucial to ensuring best-practice holistic care and improving the overall quality of life for both patients and their families. Despite advances in psycho-oncology practice, gaps remain in the accessibility and delivery of psychological support for cancer patients through: Limited availability of trained psychological care professionals due to budget constraints. Limited service access, especially in rural or resource-restricted settings.   Lack of seamless integration of psychological care into broa...
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  It’s not enough to just treat prostate cancer. by Stephen May Survivorship rates for prostate cancer are very good these days. Men live longer due to advances in early detection and medical treatment options. But that’s just half the story. Compared with men in the general population, men with prostate cancer are twice as likely to experience depression and three times more likely to experience anxiety. The risk of suicide for these men is greatest within the first year after diagnosis. Many men will walk out of their urologist’s rooms after a diagnosis of prostate cancer into a world of private hurt and hopelessness. Lost, confused, with a head full of survival statistics, treatments, and contact details where they might find 'support', they will strive to cope with a major life stressor that cuts to the core of their belie...
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  Are Australian men receiving the best care for prostate cancer from their health professionals? by Stephen May   The short answer is no, but they soon can be because now we have the means. Tens of millions of dollars are invested towards saving lives and helping more men survive prostate cancer — delivering research breakthroughs and new medicines. Treatments for prostate cancer have dramatically altered. Robot-assisted surgeries, refined methods of radiation therapy, a range of different hormone-blocking treatments, new chemotherapy regimens, and personalised medicine based on genomic profiling are now available. Survival rates for prostate cancer have soared. Over 95% of men are likely to survive at least five years post-diagnosis. Yet, with all this medical intervention, being a prostate cancer survivor brings many men and their partners and their families a level of psychological distress that compromises both their mental and physical health. Many men will walk ...
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