The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Reduction of Psychological Side Effects of Chemotherapy in Cancer Patients and Improvement of Their Coping Responses

Today chemotherapy is the most important selective therapy for cancer patients. Unfortunately, in spite of positive effects of chemotherapy, this kind of therapy has many side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and distress which etiologically, have pharmacological and psychological bases. This study evaluated effectiveness of progressive Muscle Relaxation Training (PMRT) plus Meditation and pictorial Systematic Desensitization (PSD) through modeling for reduction of conditioned and psychological side effects induced by caner chemotherapy and also their effects on coping responses in cancer patients. Twenty one subjects were selected out of cancer chemotherapy patients and these subjects formed two experimental groups and one control group. These groups were matched on the basis of variables such as type and site of cancer, stage of disease, antineoplastics and antiemtics, protocol of chemotherapy, amount of side effects, age and gender. Results indicated two cognitive-behavioral interventions were effective in reduction of anticipatory nausea, vomiting and nausea during chemotherapy, and postchemotherapy distress and dysphoria before, during, and after periods of chemotherapy and physiological variables in pre and postchemotherapy. The interventions had limited differences in effectiveness. In addition applied therapeutic procedures produced positive changes in cognitive coping responses.