Psychosocial care of cancer patients--international differences in definition, healthcare structures, and therapeutic approaches.

Psychosocial oncology has become an important part of oncological care in many countries, but few international comparisons of the establishment of psychosocial oncology have been undertaken to date. This survey was conducted to establish the current conditions in which psychosocial oncology is implemented with reference to medical care, research, education and training. A semistructured questionnaire was sent to as many as four psychosocial oncology experts from 64 countries. Information was returned by 45 experts from 38 countries. As a relatively new discipline, psychosocial oncology is understood to be an integral part of oncology care, but has only been fully integrated in a few countries at present. In contrast, there are a large number of evidence-based interventions available for cancer patients and their families. Improvements are necessary in the transfer of empirical results into clinical practice, and in the development of guidelines to ensure adequate psychosocial care for oncology patients.