[Psychological problems and management of cancer patients from the viewpoint of the clinical psychologist].

Since beginning of his illness the patient suffering from cancer no longer feels like active participant, but passive onlooker towards social life. He has to fight against intensive feelings of loss (e.g. loss of health, of organs, of abilities...); cancer always means leave-taking, grief and bereavement. Patients in hospitals have to suffer mainly from: decline of activities, decrease of subjectively perceived physical status, labile selfesteem, depression and exhaustion. It is pointed out that knowledge of one's self means an inalterable assumption for every person working with cancer patients.