Vol. 20 No. 2 (2026)

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4590

Tumor rehabilitation and psychosocial support in GI cancer patients

by Hong Zhu, Lili Ma, Yong Gao, Yan Zhao, Na Wang, Xiaojuan Li, Chuanxiu Diao, Duwu Li

Psycho-Oncologie , Vol.20, No.2, 2026; 42 Views

Background: The disease progression of advanced gastrointestinal tumors is rapid, and traditional treatments often focus on tumor control while easily ignoring psychological needs and nutritional imbalances. Previous studies have shown that nutritional intervention and psychological support have potential value in improving the quality of life of patients in advanced stages, but there is still a lack of systematic evidence-based research in primary hospitals with relatively limited resources. Objective: To investigate, in hospitalized patients aged 18–80 years with stage IIIb/IV advanced gastrointestinal tumors (expected survival ≥3 months), using a randomized exploratory design, the difference between a control group receiving routine care and nutritional support and an intervention group receiving routine care plus standardized nutritional support, structured rehabilitation exercises, and patient‐centered psychosocial care, on the primary outcome of EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status (items 29 and 30, 0–100 scale), and on secondary outcomes including psychological status (assessed by SAS and SDS), nutritional indicators, and cancer‐related fatigue (assessed by RPFS-CV), with Bonferroni correction applied for multiple testing. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled design was used in this study, and a total of 100 patients with advanced gastrointestinal tumors who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. They were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group, with 50 patients in each group. The intervention group received humanistic care in addition to routine care and nutritional support. After 2 months, changes in EORTC QLQ-C30, SAS, SDS, nutritional indicators, and cancer-related fatigue were compared between the two groups. Independent sample t -test, paired t -test, multiple regression, and Logistic regression were used to analyze the primary and secondary outcome measures, and the χ 2 test was used to evaluate adverse events. A two-sided test with P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: After 2 months of intervention, the EORTC QLQ-C30 functional dimensions in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P < 0.05), and the scores for fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and pain were significantly reduced (all P < 0.05), with a significant difference observed before and after the intervention in the intervention group (all P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression showed that the intervention had an independent positive effect on the overall health status score ( P = 0.002), with an increase of 4.75 points in the intervention group compared to the control group after adjusting for covariates. The SAS and SDS in the intervention group improved significantly compared to the control group (both P < 0.05). Among the nutritional indicators of the intervention group, serum albumin and NRS 2002 scores were significantly higher than those of the control group ( P = 0.009, 0.002), and the RPFS-CV total fatigue score was also significantly reduced (all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in adverse events between the groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: Humanistic care combined with nutritional support can safely and effectively improve the quality of life, psychological state, and certain nutritional indicators of patients with advanced gastrointestinal tumors in primary hospitals. It is worthy of further promotion and the conduct of longer-term, multi-center studies.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 3713

Impact of psychological interventions on the intraoperative outcomes in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis

by Lingna Ren, Lihong Wang, Mengshi Wang, Weihong Zhu

Psycho-Oncologie , Vol.20, No.2, 2026; 15 Views

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of psychological interventions on the intraoperative outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for liver cancer. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted using computer databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Wanfang Database. Reference lists of relevant studies were also reviewed to ensure completeness. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Jadad scoring system. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.2.7, a statistical software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results: A total of eight studies comprising 790 patients were included, comparing psychological intervention groups with control groups. The meta-analysis revealed significant differences favoring the psychological intervention group in systolic blood pressure (MD = −15.95 mmHg, 95% CI: −22.31 to −9.25, P < 0.0001), heart rate (MD = −10.68 bpm, 95% CI: −13.87 to −7.48, P < 0.0001), anxiety scores (MD = −2.39, 95% CI: −3.35 to −1.43, P < 0.0001), and the incidence of intraoperative anxiety (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.52, P < 0.0001) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Psychological interventions significantly alleviated negative emotions in patients undergoing TACE for liver cancer, contributing to better intraoperative stability in the control group. These findings suggest that psychological support may facilitate the smooth conduct of the TACE and potentially enhance overall treatment outcomes.

Open Access

Review

Article ID: 4113

Psychological factors and immune–inflammatory mechanisms in cancer-related organ transplantation: Toward a multimodal integrative framework

by Guozhen Chen, Chenguang Ding, Haiping Liu, Wujun Xue

Psycho-Oncologie , Vol.20, No.2, 2026; 36 Views

Cancer patients who undergo organ transplantation after oncologic treatment experience complex biological and psychological stressors that jointly influence immune recovery and graft function. Psychological distress—particularly anxiety and depression—activates neuroendocrine and autonomic pathways that modulate cytokine release, inflammation, and immune tolerance. Evidence from psycho-oncology and transplantation studies demonstrates that heightened distress and low resilience correlate with increased interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein levels, impaired cellular immunity, and delayed post-operative recovery. This review integrates current findings from psychoneuroimmunology, transplantation medicine, and behavioural oncology to elucidate how donor characteristics, perfusion parameters, and psychosocial factors interact to shape outcomes in cancer-related transplantation. Routine psychological assessment using validated instruments such as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), together with early interventions—cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and resilience training—may reduce inflammatory activity and improve recovery trajectories. Furthermore, emerging multimodal and machine-learning-assisted analytic approaches provide opportunities for personalised psychosocial care and risk stratification. Understanding these psych neuroimmune interactions supports the development of integrative, precision-based rehabilitation strategies within the scope of psycho-oncology.

Open Access

Review

Article ID: 4782

Comparison of the intervention effects of different Tai Chi training intensities on fatigue-insomnia-depression triad in cancer patients: A bibliometric analysis review

by Yu Sun, Jiaqi Li, Wei Hui

Psycho-Oncologie , Vol.20, No.2, 2026; 49 Views

This study used a dual method of bibliometric analysis and clinical evidence integration to systematically explore the intervention effect of different training intensities of Tai Chi on fatigue-insomnia-depression triad (FSD) in cancer patients and the current status of research. By analyzing 41 high-intensity literatures from 2004 to 2024 in the Web of Science database, an intensity stratification model based on the ACSM standard was constructed (low intensity <3 MET, medium intensity 4-6 MET, high intensity > 7 MET). The study confirmed that the standardized mean difference (SMD) of moderate-intensity Tai Chi on FSD triad was 0.57, significantly better than low intensity (SMD = 0.22), and its mechanism was related to the reconstruction of HPA axis function (recovery to 89% of healthy controls) and a 39.6%–43.2% decrease in inflammatory factors IL-6/TNF-α; however, high-intensity training may weaken the benefits of sleep (PSQI score increased). There are key gaps in current research, such as 78.3% of the intensity was not quantified and the evidence for critically ill patients (ECOG ≥ 2) accounted for only 5.3%. The study finally proposed to construct a “movement-intention” dual-axis classification framework, and suggested conducting a multi-center intensity-stratified RCT and integrating biomarker monitoring to provide evidence-based decision support for Tai Chi’s precise intervention in FSD.

Open Access

Review

Article ID: 5473

The role of pickleball doubles training in promoting post-traumatic growth and social support network in lung cancer survivors in a sports town environment

by Hui Sun, Fengliang Yu, Haixiang Bi, Na Hu

Psycho-Oncologie , Vol.20, No.2, 2026; 0 Views

Lung cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest morbidity and mortality worldwide, and survivors frequently experience chronic physical symptoms and psychological trauma that persist long after treatment. These challenges substantially impair quality of life and complicate long-term rehabilitation. Among them, 33%–45% of survivors develop clinical-grade anxiety or depression, the incidence of fear of recurrence reaches 62%, and approximately 46% withdraw from their original social networks due to changes in body image and decreased activity tolerance. Addressing both psychological adaptation and social reintegration therefore represents a critical unmet need in lung cancer survivorship care. This study aimed to synthesize and map existing evidence on the role of pickleball doubles training, situated within a sports town environment, in promoting post-traumatic growth (PTG) and strengthening social support networks among lung cancer survivors. A scoping review combined with bibliometric analysis was conducted using literature published between 2010 and 2024 and indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. The review identified multidisciplinary research spanning oncology, exercise science, psychology, and community health, with increasing scholarly attention in recent years. The synthesized findings suggest that the integration of a health-oriented sports town environment with a low-intensity, highly interactive exercise modality may exert synergistic benefits by supporting psychological growth, fostering interpersonal connection, and facilitating social participation. Although direct empirical evidence specific to pickleball remains limited, the conceptual framework emerging from this review highlights its potential value as a rehabilitation-oriented, socially engaging physical activity. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for future intervention studies and support the development of community-based, psychosocial rehabilitation strategies for lung cancer survivors.