Psycho-Oncology Service

Introduction

The Psychiatry Division of the National Cancer Center Hospital East was established in July 1996. It was created to manage and alleviate the emotional distress of cancer patients, their families, and the oncology staff and to study the influence of psychosocial issues on the quality of life and survival of cancer patients.

Routine Activities

The Psychiatry Division comprises 1 staff psychiatrist, 3 adjunct psychiatrists, 2 staff clinical psychologists, and 1 senior resident. The main clinical activity of this Division involves psychiatric consultation to appropriately assess and deal with the emotional distress and other psychiatric problems of cancer　patients who are either referred by oncologists or visit the Division themselves. The consultation data are shown in the Table. Psychiatric diagnosis is based on the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition) criteria. Consultation data included the data of 24 individuals who were family members of cancer patients (13 in 2006, 7 in 2005, 12 in 2004, and 17 in 2003) and of 5 oncology staff members.
Liaison rounds are conducted every Tuesday, and a conference with the supportive care team is conducted every Wednesday. On Thursday evenings, the Division conducts educational programs comprising multicenter joint clinical teleconferences with the National Cancer Center Hospital, Chugoku Cancer Center Hospital, Kyushu Cancer Center Hospital, and Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences. The Division also conducts community educational programs comprising clinical conferences for homecare nurses at the Kashiwa Prefectural Health and Welfare Center once every 2 months and an open seminar for Kashiwa citizens is conducted annually.

● N. Akizuki, Y. Uchitomi ●

Psychiatric consultation data (N = 466, january_december, 2007)
    N   ( %)
Age Mean ± SD (median, range) (yr) 61.0 ± 11.7 (22-88)
Gender (male/female) 281(60.3%)/185 (39.7%)
Inpatient/Outpatient   326 (70.0%)/140 (30.0%)
Cancer patient/Family  member   437 (93.8%)/24 (5.2%)
Cancer site Lung 112 (24.0)
Head and neck 93 (20.0)
Breast 35(7.5)
Esophagus 34 (7.3)
Colon 34 (7.3)
Stage Recurrent or metastatic 322 (69.1) 123 (26.4%)/
PS   224 (48.1%)/111 (7.7%)
Pain Present 260 (55.8)
Psychiatric diagnosis    
Adjustment disorders 117 (25.1)
Delirium 106 (22.7)
Major depression 50 (10.7)
Others 110 (23.7)
No diagnosis 83 (17.8)

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