Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cancer and Oncology Social Work

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Practice of Clinical Social Work in Healthcare

Part of the book series: Essential Clinical Social Work Series ((ECSWS))

Abstract

Cancer is a broad term that comprises dozens, if not hundreds, of diagnoses and illnesses. It is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Cancer can be emotionally and physically devastating and the treatment process can be confusing and overwhelming. The role of the oncology social worker is to support patients and families as they process the diagnosis and make difficult decisions about treatment. This chapter aims to address the challenges oncology social workers face while working with patients with cancer. It will examine the complex emotions experienced by cancer patients at each phase of disease treatment, in bereavement, and in complex grief. It will also discuss social justice issues and healthcare disparities, and how the oncology social worker provides clinical interventions at all of these points.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    All names and other personal identifiers in the case are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

References

  • Abdalla, E., Troy, R., Fall, S., Elhussin, I., Egiebor-Aiwan, O., & Nganwa, D. (2020). Racial differences in 5-year relative survival rates of cervical cancer by stage at diagnosis, between African American (black) and white women, living in the state of Alabama, USA. BMC Cancer, 20(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-020-07338-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al Hadidi, S., Mims, M., Miller-Chism, C. N., & Kamble, R. (2020). Participation of African American persons in clinical trials supporting US Food and Drug Administration approval of cancer drugs. Annals of Internal Medicine, 173(4), 320–322. https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-0410

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Altillo, T., & Tropeano, L. E. (2015). Pain and symptom management. In G. Christ, C. Messner, & L. Behar (Eds.), Handbook of oncology social work: Psychosocial care of people with cancer (pp. 239–246). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arch, J. J., Vanderkruik, R., Kirk, A., & Carr, A. L. (2018). A closer lens: Cancer survivors’ supportive intervention preferences and interventions received. Psychooncology, 27(5), 1434–1441. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4526

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bahrami, M., Mohamadirizi, M., Mohamadirizi, S., & Hosseini, S. A. (2017). Evaluation of body image in cancer patients and its association with clinical variables. Journal of education and health promotion, 6, 81. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_4_15

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, D. M. (2001). Therapist-patient relations and ethnic transference. In W.-S. Tseng & J. Streltzer (Eds.), Culture and psychotherapy: A guide to clinical practice (pp. 103–121). American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blacker, S., & Christ, G. H. (2011). Defining social work’s role and leadership contributions in palliative care. In T. A. S. Otis-Green (Ed.), Oxford textbook of palliative social work (pp. 21–30). Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Boerger-Knowles, K., & Ridley, T. (2014). Chronic cancer: Counseling the individual. Social Work in Health Care, 53(1), 11–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Breitbart, W., Rosenfeld, B., Gibson, C., Pessin, H., Poppito, S., Nelson, C., et al. (2010). Meaning-centered group psychotherapy for patients with advanced cancer: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Psychooncology, 19(1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1556

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Breitbart, W., Pessin, H., Rosenfeld, B., Applebaum, A. J., Lichtenthal, W. G., Li, Y., et al. (2018). Individual meaning-centered psychotherapy for the treatment of psychological and existential distress: A randomized controlled trial in patients with advanced cancer. Cancer, 124(15), 3231–3239. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31539

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, M. (2014). This is common factors. Clinical Social Work Journal, 42(2), 151–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charlton, M., Schlichting, J., Chioreso, C., Ward, M., & Vikas, P. (2015). Challenges of Rural Cancer Care in the United States. Oncology (Williston Park, N.Y.), 29(9), 633–640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu Foy, K., Fisher, J. L., Lustberg, M. B., Gray, D. M., DeGraffinreid, C. R., & Paskett, E. D. (2018). Disparities in breast cancer tumor characteristics, treatment, time to treatment, and survival probability among African American and white women. NPJ Breast Cancer, 4(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41523-018-0059-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Damaskos, P., & Gerbino, S. (2014). Introduction to the special issue: Coping with chronic cancer: Clinical approaches for oncology social work practice. Social Work in Health Care, 53(1), 1–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Damaskos, P., & Parry, C. (2015). Cancer survivorship: Concepts, interventions, and research. In G. Christ, C. Messner, & L. Behar (Eds.), Handbook of oncology social work: Psychosocial care of people with cancer (pp. 57–64). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damaskos, P., Amaya, B., Gordon, R., & Walters, C. B. (2018). Intersectionality and the LGBT cancer patient. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 34(1), 30–36.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, J., & Kissane, D. W. (2008). Psychosocial interventions for cancer patients. Current Opinion in Oncology, 20(4), 367–371. https://doi.org/10.1097/CCO.0b013e3283021658

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dougherty, L. (2007). Using nursing diagnoses in prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced alopecia in the cancer patient. International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications: The Official Journal of NANDA International, 18(4), 142–149. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-618X.2007.00069.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ernstmann, N., Neumann, M., Ommen, O., Galushko, M., Wirtz, M., Voltz, R., et al. (2009). Determinants and implications of cancer patients’ psychosocial needs. Supportive Care in Cancer, 17(11), 1417–1423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0605-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ezra, E., & Chi, M. (2015). When the other shoe drops: Unique fears and challenges of recurrent disease. In G. Christ, C. Messner, & L. Behar (Eds.), Handbook of oncology social work: Psychosocial care of people with cancer (p. 107). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleishman, S. B., & Messner, C. (2015). Cancer in contemporary society: Grounding in oncology and psychosocial care. In G. Christ, C. Messner, & L. Behar (Eds.), Handbook of oncology social work: Psychosocial care of people with cancer (p. 1). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Floríndez, L. I., Floríndez, D. C., Como, D. H., Secola, R., & Duker, L. I. S. (2020). Differing interpretations of health care encounters: A qualitative study of non-Latinx health care providers’ perceptions of Latinx patient behaviors. Plos One, 15(8), e0236706.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Godofredo, A. V. (2020). Racism, discrimination, and the practice of oncology. Lancet, 395, 1813.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, D. L., Luberto, C. M., Philpotts, L. L., Song, R., Park, E. R., & Yeh, G. Y. (2018). Mind-body interventions for fear of cancer recurrence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychooncology, 27(11), 2546–2558. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4757

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Harley, C., Pini, S., Bartlett, Y. K., & Velikova, G. (2012). Defining chronic cancer: Patient experiences and self-management needs. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2(3), 248–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartman, K. K. (2015). Diagnosis and initiation of cancer treatment. In G. Christ, C. Messner, & L. Behar (Eds.), Handbook of oncology social work: Psychosocial care of people with cancer (pp. 43–50). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holland, J. C. (2002). History of psycho-oncology: Overcoming attitudinal and conceptual barriers. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(2), 206–221.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kissane, D. W., McKenzie, M., Block, S., Moskowitz, C., McKenzie, D. P., & O’Neill, I. (2006). Family focused grief therapy: A randomized, controlled trial in palliative care and bereavement. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(7), 1208–1218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klitzman, R. L., & Greenberg, J. D. (2002). Patterns of communication between gay and lesbian patients and their health care providers. Journal of Homosexuality, 42(4), 65–75. https://doi.org/10.1300/J082v42n04_04

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kyngäs, H., Mikkonen, R., Nousiainen, E. M., Rytilahti, M., Seppänen, P., Vaattovaara, R., & Jämsä, T. (2001). Coping with the onset of cancer: Coping strategies and resources of young people with cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care, 10(1), 6–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lawson, K. C., & Lawson, D. H. (2018). Insights into the psychology of trauma should inform the practice of oncology. The Oncologist, 23(7), 750.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Le, M. N., Nguyen, G. T., Pan, Z., Maglalang, D. D., Butt, F., Bautista, R., et al. (2017). Unmet needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Education, 32(2), 374–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-015-0952-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mathew, L., & Fulton, C. (2017). Chapter 12: Social isolation and caregiver burden. In B. Korc-Grodzicki & W. P. Tew (Eds.), Handbook of geriatric oncology (pp. 99–103). Demos Medical.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClement, S. E., & Chochinov, H. M. (2008). Hope in advanced cancer patients. European Journal of Cancer, 44(8), 1169–1174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2008.02.031

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McClement, S., Chochinov, H. M., Hack, T., Hassard, T., Kristjanson, L. J., & Harlos, M. (2007). Dignity therapy: Family member perspectives. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 10(5), 1076–1082.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

  • National Cancer Institute. (2021a, May 5) What is cancer? https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer

  • National Cancer Institute. (2021b, August 6). Depression (PDQ)-Health professional version. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/depression-hp-pdq

  • Nguyen, T. U. N., & Kagawa-Singer, M. (2008, November). Overcoming barriers to cancer care through health navigation programs. Seminars in oncology nursing, 24(4), 270–278.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ore, M. L., & Foli, K. J. (2020). Reintegration for Post-treatment Cancer Survivors: A Concept Analysis. Journal of holistic nursing: official journal of the American Holistic Nurses’ Association, 38(3), 300–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010119883760

  • Panganiban, J. M., & O’Neil, J. (2021). Breast cancer and gynecologic risks in lesbian and bisexual women. Nursing, 51(3), 58–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quach, T., Nuru-Jeter, A., Morris, P., Allen, L., Shema, S. J., Winters, J. K., et al. (2012). Experiences and perceptions of medical discrimination among a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, California. American Journal of Public Health, 102(5), 1027–1034. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300554

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Díaz, C. T., Strayhorn, S., Tejeda, S., Vijayasiri, G., Rauscher, G. H., & Molina, Y. (2021). What mediates the racial/ethnic disparity in psychosocial stress among breast cancer patients? Cancer Causes & Control, 32(4), 357–367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-021-01392-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scharff, D. P., Mathews, K. J., Jackson, P., Hoffsuemmer, J., Martin, E., & Edwards, D. (2010). More than Tuskegee: Understanding mistrust about research participation. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 21(3), 879. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.0.0323

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D., & Jemal, A. (2018). Cancer statistics, 2018. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 68(1), 7–30. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21442

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stump-Sutliff, K., Watson, L. R., & Gersten, T. (n.d.). Cancer risks for gay and bisexual men. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=134&contentid=131

  • Tamargo, C. L., Quinn, G. P., Sanchez, J. A., & Schabath, M. B. (2017). Cancer and the LGBTQ population: Quantitative and qualitative results from an oncology providers’ survey on knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 6(10), 93.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Thetford, K., Gillespie, T. W., Kim, Y.-I., Hansen, B., & Scarinci, I. C. (2021). Willingness of Latinx and African Americans to participate in non therapeutic trials: It depends on who runs the research. Ethnicity & Disease, 31(2), 263–272. https://doi.org/10.18865/ed.31.2.263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treanor, C. J. (2020). Psychosocial support interventions for cancer caregivers: Reducing caregiver burden. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 14(3), 247–262.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wall, L. L. (2006). The medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: A fresh look at the historical record. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32(6), 346–350. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2005.012559

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, K., Li, H., Brazeal, J. G., Lewin, D. N., Sun, S., Ba, A., Paulos, C. M., Rachidi, S., Li, Z., & Alekseyenko, A. V. (2020). Platelet and hemoglobin count at diagnosis are associated with survival in African American and Caucasian patients with colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiology, 67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2020.101746

  • Williams, I. (2014). Psychosocial burden of family caregivers to adults with cancer. In U. Goerling (Ed.), Psycho-oncology. Recent results in cancer research (Vol. 197, pp. 73–85). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40187-9_6

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Linda Mathew DSW, Jacob Maier & Annamma Abraham Kaba

Authors
  1. Linda Mathew DSW
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jacob Maier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Annamma Abraham Kaba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda Mathew DSW .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. City Center Psychotherapy, New York, NY, USA

    Meredith Hemphill

  2. Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Abigail Nathanson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Mathew, L., Maier, J., Kaba, A.A. (2023). Cancer and Oncology Social Work. In: Hemphill, M., Nathanson, A. (eds) The Practice of Clinical Social Work in Healthcare. Essential Clinical Social Work Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31650-0_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation