Critical Times

Psychosocial Interventions for Cancer by P Henry 13/8/25

KEY CONCEPTS:  QoL= Quality of Life.  SOC = Sense of Coherence. CRF = Cancer Related Fatigue.  RCT/RT = Random Controlled Tests / Controlled Tests.  TCQ= Tai Chi/Qigong.  HPA = Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis. PNI = Psychoneuroimmunology.

Cancer is a complex, invidious disease. Approximately 28,000 people die from it daily[1], and many times that suffer its side effects, or live with a threat of dying[2]. It is the most life-years debilitating illness.

Some are incurable, some treatable. Treatments can prolong life or provide remission. Some sufferers are cured or have a reoccurrence (types of cancer vary) [3] or die from it sooner or later.  It is heterogeneous, its manifestations are divergent. There are bio-chemical, personal, social, sexual and many other changes occurring for the inflicted.

Some survive. Some do things that increase that possibility.

Every person probably carries cancer genes, which only become active and critical with stimulus[4]. Individuals experience it differently, most with anxiety and fear of an unknown. Clinically they all involve unhindered abnormal cell growth (apoptosis) which can spread to other parts of the body (metastasis) or reoccur. It can mutate. Having it increases the possibility of a secondary cancer and other illnesses.

Incidence rises annually. Treatments increase in number and complexity. Disparities widen by environments, survival poor for many [5].  Cancer rates vary with cancer type, industrialisation, environment, behaviours, aging and cumulative risk factors. Rates of cancer incidence are higher in first world, but its mortality is equal to the third world. Superior care increases survival rates[6].

It is an ancient disease found in fossilised animals[7]. Ancient Egypt[8] had human treatment for it.  An early attempt at establishing its causal relationship in humans was recorded in 1775[9].

Some environmental factors cause cancer (e.g. smoking, asbestos, radiation)[10]. Many causative and curative facts remain elusive. A full understanding may never be found, as cancer cells are evasive, mutable and often avoid our immune systems’ resistance.  It’s often described as a grouping of diseases driven by environmental, progressive genetic and epigenetic factors[11].

Standard western treatments include palliative care, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, laser, hormonal, and targeted therapies, and the growth of immunological and gene therapies. These are improving and helpful, sometimes needing additional treatments. Raised survival rates of treatments must be compared to their long-term reliability, systemic adverse effects and side effects[12].

Here the treatments described are psychosocial or psycho-oncological[13]. These adjuvant or complementary therapies do not have side effects.  These chosen have sufficient evidence showing their successful treatments that change outcomes, prolong life and improve quality of living (QoL).  They do not reject medical treatments.

These sections present information in a condensed form. This brevity increases difficulty, with their different concepts and terminology, used to covering a wide range and fields of understanding. They are loosely tied together. Techniques are only outlines, offering a start for further pursuit. Unravelling this complexity includes using explicit and implicit knowledge. Its primary considerations are physical, psychological and social. It involves achieving a wellbeing balanced with pleasure while doing these techniques.

Each section explains the basic, with further references.

1. Introduction
2. Choice
3. Stress or Crisis
4. Physical Exercises
5. Gentle movements
6. Mindfulness
7. Therapeutic Nature
8. Other Treatments
9. PNI
10. Supports
11. Diet
12. Supplements
13. Psychological Groups
14. Other Therapies
15. Further Research
16. Summery

This article is to help the exploration of supplementary methods, for intelligent cancer sufferers, helping them become more than a patient. The internet is rich with concepts and terms searches. There is a comment box at the foot of each section. If you write in, we will try to reply. We are not medics, rather social scientists, technicians and psychotherapists.

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[4] Molecular Biology of the Cell. (2002) B. Alberts et al.

[5] The future of cancer care in the UK…. (Jan24) A Aggarwal et al. The Lancet Oncology 25(1). Health inequalities in cancer care…. (Oct24) E C S Scott et al. Clin Med 76.  International Cancer Burden Analysis 2020-2024…. (2024) K Sheikh et al. Am J of BioMedicine 13(1)

[6] Global cancer statistics 2022…. (4Apr24) F Bray et al. CA Cancer J Clin.74(3).  Global cancer statistics 2011. (4Feb11) A Bray et al. CA: A Cancer Jl Clin 61(2)

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[1] Cancer Global cancer burden: progress, projections, and challenges. (11Oct25) Qingwei Luo et al. The Lancet 105 (10512). Causes of Death. (2023) S Dattani et al.  Our world in data.  Evaluating intrinsic and non-intrinsic cancer risk factors. (298Aug18) Song Wu et al. Nature Commun. 

[2] Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived with Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years …. (30Dec21) J McCormack et al. Jama Oncology 8(3).  All cancers combined mortality statistics | Cancer Research UK

[3] Cancer Recurrence Statistics- Cancer Therapy Advisor

[4] Molecular Biology of the Cell. (2002) B. Alberts et al.

[5] The future of cancer care in the UK…. (Jan24) A Aggarwal et al. The Lancet Oncology 25(1). Health inequalities in cancer care…. (Oct24) E C S Scott et al. Clin Med 76.  International Cancer Burden Analysis 2020-2024…. (2024) K Sheikh et al. Am J of BioMedicine 13(1).

[6] Global cancer statistics 2022…. (4Apr24) F Bray et al. CA Cancer J Clin.74(3).  Global cancer statistics 2011. (4Feb11) A Bray et al. CA: A Cancer J Clin 61(2).

[7] Doctors diagnose advanced cancer—in a dinosaur …. (3Aug20) G Vogel. Science. Osteosarcoma Discovered in a 77-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Bone

[8] Ancient Egyptians surgically removed brain cancer 4000 year ago…. (29May24) C Wilcox. Science.

The History of Cancer”. (2009) Amer Can Soc. Ancient skeleton is the earliest case of cancer yet detected – BBC News

[9] Pott and chimney sweepers’ cancer of the scrotum. (1951) J A Bray et al. Brit J of Indust Med.14 (1).

[10] Environmental determinants of cancer outcomes…. (Apr26) A Abravan et al. Radio Onco (217).  Cancer Epigenetics …. (2024) P Wadgaonkar. Environmental causes of cancer.

[11] Epigenetic gene silencing in cancer …. (Feb06) S B Baylin et al. Nature Reviews. Cancer. 6 (2). Epigenetic field defects in progression to cancer. (Mar3).  C Bernstein et al. Wld J of Gastro Oncol. 

[12] Unveiling the hidden harms: … deeper exploration of side effects of oncotherapy. (2026) A Hota et al. Med Oncol 43(75).   CNSC-13. Understanding long-term cognitive side effects…. (Nov25) A Singh et al. Neuro-Onco 27(5).  Cancer Treatment Side Effects: A Meta-analysis …. (Aug17) E J Devlin et al. JPSM 5 (2).  Cancer treatments and drugs A to Z | Macmillan Cancer Support  Cancer Treatment Side Effect Tables – NCI   Side Effects of Cancer Treatment – NCI   Side effects of chemotherapy | Canadian Cancer Society  Risks and Side Effects of Cancer Surgery | American Cancer Society    Possible problems after cancer surgery | Cancer Research UK  Side effects of chemotherapy | Macmillan Cancer Support      Side effects of cancer drugs | Treatment for cancer | Cancer Research UK  

[13] Psycho-oncology: Bridging mental health and cancer care …. (Feb26) K Upadhaya et al. Arch of Psych Nurs.60.  Psychosocial interventions indicate prolonged survival in cancer patients …RCTs. (2026) K D Asakawa-Haas, D Spiegel et al. Comm Psychol 4 (49). Global unmet psychosocial needs in cancer care…. (Dec24) C Bergerot et al. The Lancet, Health (78).  CACA clinical guideline holistic psychosocial…. (11Jun25) L Tang et al. Holist Integ Oncol 4(34).  Barriers to accessing psycho-oncological support …. (Jun22) L Gurren et al. Euro J Onco Nurs(58).