Care of the patient with cancer increasingly includes attention to quality of life, rehabilitation and psychosocial function as critical aspects of supportive care, at all stages of disease. While cancer center staff and oncology professionals are usually extremely well versed about the most recent biomedical research findings, they are less aware of the newer findings which relate to supportive care, symptom control and quality of life. This proposal addresses that informational lag by requesting support for a symposium to provide an update to those working with cancer patients about these issues. The proposed symposium will be held September 17- 19, 1987 under the auspices of the Psychiatry Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, for an expected audience of 400 individuals working in supportive aspects of cancer care: physicians, mental health professionals, social workers, nurses, and selected volunteers representing support organizations. The Psychiatry Service sponsored two prior Update in Psycho-oncology Symposia in 1982 and 1984. Both were attended by audiences of 200-300 which represented about 1/3 physicians, psychologists and social workers. Participants came from the United States and 11 other countries. The syllabus prepared for each conference has been widely distributed both during and after the conferences. We propose to hold a 3rd Update Symposium on psychosocial rehabilitation on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Psychiatry Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. As the first such full-time service in a cancer center dedicated to clinical care, research, and training, it has had the opportunity to be both participant and observer in the development of psycho-oncology. The staff of the Psychiatry Service, other MSKCC staff and invited lecturers will cover the major topics which relate to control of symptoms and distress (pain, anxiety, depression, nausea and vomiting); special psychological issues related to disease or treatment (bone marrow transplant, breast); management of grief; psychological factors in prevention; and the current state of research in interrelation of psychologic and immunologic parameters, an area in which patients are often exploited by alternative cancer treatments. The Organizing Committee will be responsible for the advertising of the conference, the quality and content of the lectures and the distribution of the syllabus, providing the field with an update on key issues.
