Traumatic Experiences of Patients With Advanced Cancer

The purpose of this study was to investigate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in advanced cancer patients, their reported traumatic experiences, and the relationship between patients with PTSD and non-PTSD as well as between cancer as trauma versus other traumatic experiences. A descriptive analysis revealed that 195 advanced cancer patients had anxiety disorders; 170 had PTSD, while 25 had other anxiety disorders. The majority of the patients (66.7%) with PTSD reported that their cancer diagnosis was the traumatic event for them. In addition, 10.8% reported that they had experienced a death of a loved one, and the rest (22.5%) reported other traumatic events. Death of a loved one and cancer seemed to be the most traumatic events for patients in advanced stages of cancer, and thus psychotherapeutic treatment is essential.