Non-Drug Therapy: Psychological and Nutritional Intervention Work in One Year

Since 2013 when oncology was selected as a national key clinical specialty construction project, the Oncology Center of our hospital has exerted our full strength to care and help patients from the four aspects including physical health, psychological health, social adaptability and moral health. While organizing MDT consultation and providing patients with the best individualized comprehensive diagnosis plan, we carry out psychological and nutritional intervention and adjustment for the patients.

As the malignant tumor itself, its treatment and the change over physical function, body image, social status, economic status and family ties caused thereby will produce many adverse physical and psychological effects. Therefore, psychological intervention is very necessary for patients with cancer. By cooperating with the Psychological Department in ward round, the Oncology Center of our hospital helps patients relieve the physical and psychological tension state, reduce the side effect generated by various treatments and improve their immunologic function via the professional psychological behavior intervention.

In addition, numerous clinical research data in recent years show that the malnutrition of the cancer patient will significantly influence their survival and living quality, lower the treatment effect and increase the side effect of chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, it's necessary to pay attention to the nutrition supported treatment of the cancer patient as improving the nutrition status of them can largely raise their tolerance to chemoradiotherapy and is beneficial for completing the established treatment plan and so that the tumor treatment solution may play a better role. We also have ward round with the Nutrition Department to evaluate the nutrition status of the patients, based on which we made nutrition adjustment and supplement for the malnourished cancer patients. We provide diet suggestions for the patients and their family members based on the disease stage and treatment progress so as to improve their performance status and immunity.

As early as 1995, we had established the Cancer Recovery Salon of Shanghai General Hospital voluntarily by the patients of the Oncology Department for the purpose of "anti-cancer and recovery". It is formed based on the Oncology Department and supported by the Hospital under the direction, participation and care of the medical staff in the form of "doctor-patient combination".  The Recovery Salon is led by the council composed of the medical staff and patients. 

Since its foundation, the Salon has conducted many recovery and visiting activities in diversified forms such as tumor prevention and treatment and rehabilitation lecture. It also regularly organizes the recovered patients to exchange their experience with other patients, and small lecture, psychological counseling session and the session on addressing the side effect of chemotherapy are held every year. The Salon also regularly organizes the recovered patients to visit those under treatment and introduce their recovery process so as to encourage them to fight against the illness. These activities enhance the confidence of the patients to beat the disease so that they may cooperate with the treatment. This also shortens the distance between the patients and doctors, improves the doctor-patient relation and deepens their affections. 

We hope to express a correct concept to the patients through our unremitting efforts: The common diseases like tumor, diabetes and hypertension are also chronic diseases. As the medical level improves, more and more tumor treatment methods such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biotherapy, molecular targeting treatment and minimally invasive treatment show, which greatly promotes the tumor treatment level. People pay increasing attention on health, which realizes early tumor diagnosis and treatment. More and more clinical studies prove that peaceful and optimistic mentality are premise and guarantee of accepting treatment and achieving good treatment effect. Someday mankind will fight against the tumor, then people will not turn pale at the mention of cancer. Let's keep positive and look forward it to come soon.