When the body is sick, emotional pain often follows. Cancer patients are fighting their toughest opponent. With the support of others, this fight can be easier. In this symbolic ring, alongside family and friends, there may also be psycho-oncologist. A fundraiser for psychological support is not an add-on to treatment. It is an important element of a holistic approach to health—for both the patient and their loved ones. Find out how important psychological support plays during cancer treatment.
How does cancer affect mental health?
Cancer patients experience intense emotions. These can vary at different stages of the disease. At the time of diagnosis, anxiety and fear are most common. Fear for oneself. For the future. For loved ones. The stages of testing, procedures, and treatment are marked by alternating moments of hope and doubt. Strength and resignation. Anger and despair. These emotions do not subside after beating cancer. One must find one’s place in a new reality. Often, one must contend with the side effects of the disease. On top of that, every medical checkup brings the fear of a cancer recurrence.
Researchers have shown that people who develop mental health disorders within a year of a cancer diagnosis face an increased risk of death.
The barrage of events that accompany an illness causes severe stress. This, in turn, increases the risk of mood disorders, depression, or anxiety disorders. For some people, this can even lead to substance abuse or suicidal thoughts. Is this always the case? Of course not. Each of us copes differently with difficult situations and reacts differently to intense emotions. However, this does not mean we can let our guard down.
Check out: how to help people with cancer.
Mental Health Support: Oncology and Patients' Emotions
Some cancer patients open up emotionally to their loved ones and doctors. They talk about how the disease is affecting their mental state. Others are deeply affected by the diagnosis and treatment and show signs of it, but they can’t bring themselves to open up further, keeping all the stress bottled up inside. There are also patients who wear a mask of stoic calm, reassuring their loved ones that they’re doing well, while deep down they hide a whole range of emotions. All of this is done so as not to worry the family or lose the image of an indestructible person who, in the eyes of loved ones—and often in their own eyes—can handle anything.
See: Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients.
Regardless of the patient’s attitude, sooner or later everyone diagnosed with cancer feels the impact of the disease on their mental well-being. They need a helping hand and the support of others. It is said, and not without reason, that mental well-being determines treatment outcomes. Mental support during cancer treatment can provide motivation and strength to fight. But that’s not all.
Who is a psycho-oncologist? Psychological support for cancer patients
A psycho-oncologist is a psychologist who specializes in providing psychological support to cancer patients and their families. They are professionals with the necessary knowledge and experience who accompany patients at every stage of their battle with cancer, including palliative and hospice care.
When should you consult a psycho-oncologist? There is one rule: when the patient gives their consent. The support provided by a psycho-oncologist can take various forms, depending on the patient’s needs. Sometimes it involves a single session and a quiet presence when the patient needs to be heard. Very often, it involves longer-term oncological psychotherapy, and it is worth noting that this can take the form of either individual psychotherapy for cancer patients or group therapy.
Does psychotherapy help cancer patients?
Oncological psychotherapy is professional support for patients, helping each one adapt to their new reality. Patients learn to come to terms with their illness and the emotions that accompany it. They feel that they are not alone in bearing this emotional burden. Many patients do not want to share all their emotions with their loved ones so as not to worry them. They also often feel misunderstood. Talking to a psycho-oncologist can bring them relief.
A psycho-oncologist helps patients communicate with their doctors and loved ones. They teach patients how to talk about their illness, their needs, and their concerns. Through psychotherapy, patients also learn how to cope with stress and sleep disorders.
Oncology psychotherapy also provides support after overcoming the disease, when returning to work, home, and daily responsibilities—and the stress that comes with them—becomes a challenge.
Mental health support for families of cancer patients
Oncology psychotherapy can also be helpful for the families of cancer patients. To help others, you must take care of yourself. Fear for a loved one’s health and life, neglecting one’s own health, caregiver burnout, and financial anxiety are just some of the challenges faced by the patient’s loved ones. Talking to a specialist, or participating in individual or group therapy for families of cancer patients, can help them navigate this new situation. These approaches provide a sense of belonging and understanding. They teach how to offer support wisely while ensuring that you do not neglect yourself or your own emotions.
Check out: support for cancer patients.
What is the availability and cost of oncology psychotherapy?
Public awareness of mental health is growing. Unfortunately, access to specialists in psycho-oncology can still be difficult. Patients must have a referral from a primary care physician to receive care from a mental health clinic. Psycho-oncologists often work in hospitals and cancer centers, but the growing number of patients means they are not always able to provide everyone with the necessary level of care. Private visits to a psycho-oncologist, on the other hand, cost several hundred zlotys per visit. A solution to this situation is a fundraiser for psychological support.
Check: where to find help for cancer patients.
Mental Health and Oncology: A Holistic Approach to Patient Care
Physical and mental health are interconnected. That is why a holistic approach to patient care is so important. At Cancer Fighters, we tell our patients that fundraising for cancer treatment should also include psychological support for the patient and their loved ones. Therapy is not a fad, nor is it a luxury or an unnecessary addition to cancer treatment. It is an expression of health awareness and care for oneself and one’s family.
In addition to helping set up and manage fundraising campaigns for medical treatment, we offer psychological support to patients and their loved ones right here at the foundation. We organize workshops and group sessions where our “Warriors” and their families can feel the strength of our support, share their experiences, and simply be together—whether in silence or conversation. If you, too, are looking for a place where you can receive the necessary help in your fight against cancer, join us!
Bibliography
- Skiert A, Sitarz G, The Role of the Psycho-Oncologist in Cancer Treatment. Scientific Journal of the University of Social Sciences in Lublin, 2022, 11, pp. 161–175.
- The Impact of Mental Disorders on Cancer Treatment and Mortality, termedia.pl, accessed May 29, 2026.
- Methods of Psycho-Oncological Support, Voice of the Cancer Patient, No. 2, June 2016, pp. 8–9.
- Psychological support, oncology.patient.gov.pl, accessed May 29, 2026.
