Anyone who hears the words, "You have cancer," feels distress, which is a mix of emotions that can include powerlessness, anxiety, and sadness. They fear the effects of the disease, the medical treatments, pain, possible disability, and being unable to care for their families. They are sad about their loss of health and concerned about the future.

While some distress is normal, these feelings can become so strong that a person can't handle daily tasks of living or even tolerate the medical treatments needed to fight the disease. Fortunately, when these very common feelings are brought out into the open and treated properly, people can begin feeling better in a matter of days.

For patients in this situation and their loved ones, help is now available in the free NCCN Distress Treatment Guidelines for Patients booklet. It's written by some of the nation's top cancer experts, and translated into easy-to-understand language. The Distress Guide includes:

• Coping checks like the "Distress Thermometer" quiz
• Treatment information
• A decision tree chart
• A dictionary of terms about distress
• Practical tips for coping with difficult emotions

Emotional Distress Is Common But Not Always Treated

A Johns Hopkins Medical Center study showed that, on average, about 35% of cancer patients have significant levels of distress that should be recognized and treated. When it is lung, brain or pancreas cancer, almost half the patients have high distress levels. But in many busy clinics and medical offices, there's little time for doctors to ask about distress.

From the patient's perspective, many people don't want to bother the doctor, or they feel it's a sign of weakness to mention their distress. For all these reasons, distress often goes on without proper treatment and can lead to not sleeping well, poor appetite, and trouble concentrating and carrying on with simple tasks of daily living. This, in turn, can affect a person’s ability to cope physically with the rigors of cancer treatment. Patients who are overcome with sadness, depression, or anxiety may also be unable to talk openly with their loved ones at the time when they most need emotional support.

The NCCN Distress Treatment Guidelines for Patients booklet is available in English and Spanish by calling 1-877-ACS-0133 or through the following links:

NCCN Distress Treatment Guidelines for Patients (English)

NCCN Distress Treatment Guidelines for Patients (Interactive Version)

Angustia :guías de tratamiento para los pacientes con cáncer