(Re)Thinking Psycho-oncology in a world out of balance with Adrian Pogacian

“In 1984, when International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) emerged, the world was divided in two opposite societies and, in Eastern Europe for example, the states initiated their road to freedom and liberty. Today, after 40 years, we share the same horizon: that of wisdom.

Yet, after four decades, our community faces new challenges in a world out of balance: events follow each another quickly, the entire international health environment being itself in a real Brownian movement and, paraphrasing a famous literary line, time seems to have no longer patience. The global turmoil caused first, by the refugee crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and, nowadays, the conflict in Ukraine, puts humanity before a real test of social cohesion, starting from the lowest level, the one of local communities.

HOPE to deliver quality results in minimal time

Regarding the field of psycho-oncology, the last IPOS congress theme: Cancer in context, was meant to illustrate an integrative approach regarding the oncological disease. Despite the optimism within panels discussions, remains the practical and academic gap among psycho-oncological specialists, with focus to Low- or Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) or the lack of trust in psychological counselling in the former Eastern European countries.

While in the development countries, Artificial Intelligence and E-Health are the current topics of research, some other countries face food insecurity, stigma and inequity in cancer care, themes that should have been on the agenda, too. Moreover, research means money (especially on oncology domain), though there are nation where the primary care can’t be achieved.

Unfortunately, we are living the paradox of oncology: the development of medical sciences should have led to further discoveries in the field of cancer psychology, as well as to the development of new methods of dealing with fundamental psychological problems and traumas. However, medicine and psychology seem to have gone in different directions.

Fortunately, nowadays we have the means to improve and further develop this field of research and practice, therefore the question is: Thinking or ReThinking Psycho-oncology?”

Other posts by Adrian Pogacian.

Adrian Pogacian, MS Psychology, clinical psychologist with executive education in Psycho-oncology, holding a degree in Global Health Diplomacy from Geneva Graduate Institute.

Currently, researcher and associate lecturer with focus on Impact of Cancer Diagnosis on Couples and Families, Communication in Cancer Care and Posttraumatic Growth. His expertise is on Coping with Cancer and managing Fear of Recurrence.

Additionally, Founder of INCKA Psycho-oncology Center, Host of Beyond the Cancer Diagnosis Interview Series as well as Writer and Host Content in Psycho-oncology at OncoDaily.com, co-author of the first Romanian Multimodal Care Guideline in Pediatric Onco-hematology, active contributor to the International Psycho-oncology Society, presently IPOS Fear of Cancer Recurrence SIG member and IPOS Early Career Professionals in Psycho-Oncology Committee founder member.