From Treatment to Trauma: First-Line Cancer Treatment and Cancer-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The epidemiology of cancer-related PTSD is well-documented, but the effect of first-line cancer treatments on the prevalence and severity of PTSD has yet to be consolidated. Unlike many other traumatic events preceding the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the cancer experience has ongoing stages of diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship that each present their own stressors. Due to the multifaceted nature of cancer-related trauma, it is important to understand how each component of the experience plays a role in the onset of mental illness. Thus, I review the existing literature to elucidate how the biochemical changes induced by chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery influence the onset and prevalence of cancer-related PTSD. In being informed of the physiological processes underlying treatment and their implications for mental health, patients and clinicians alike can better predict the psychological changes that occur alongside cancer treatment.