Background
Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is the fear, worry, or concern that cancer may return or progress. FCR is one of the most common unmet needs reported by individuals living with melanoma. To address this need, the Melanoma Care Program (MCP), an evidence-based psychological intervention delivered through a stepped-care model, was utilised to treat FCR in patients with early-stage melanoma. The MCP was found to effectively reduce FCR for patients with early-stage melanoma up to 12-months post-intervention.
Methods
The MCP has been implemented as the standard service provision model within the Clinical Psychology Service (CPS) at the Melanoma Institute Australia for patients with any stage of melanoma. Specific interventions utilised from the MCP include initial sessions being scheduled for 90 minutes, wherein patients were prompted to share their melanoma story, and a needs assessment was conducted. Subsequent sessions provided patients with melanoma education, connection to community supports, and key psychological strategies individualised according to identified patient needs.
Impact on Practice
Patients reported finding services provided by the CPS helpful, wherein they felt their melanoma experience was understood and validated, and they learnt psychological strategies to better cope with their melanoma. Patients identified that being able to share their melanoma story enabled them to reflect upon and process their experience with melanoma. In addition, the flexibility of the MCP allowed clinicians to draw from and implement strategies from varied psychotherapeutic approaches to best address identified patient needs.
Discussion
The MCP provides a sound model for clinical psychology service provision to patients with melanoma, with anecdotal evidence that patients find the service helpful. A CPS evaluation project has been developed to establish a quantitative evidence-base for the effectiveness of the CPS service provision on psychosocial outcomes and patient satisfaction.