Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Indian J Cancer. 2021 Jan-Mar;58(1):119-121. doi: 10.4103/ijc.IJC_949_19.
Before choosing psycho-oncology, there was a juncture in my life when I had to select my specialization for further education. It was overwhelming to choose one from all the areas available at that time and be solely responsible for this decision as it had a bearing on not just me, but also on my family. In 2013 (when I decided on my area of specialization), psycho-oncology was a new field. With just a belief to hold onto, that one day psycho-oncology would be widespread and welcomed in Indian cancer care, I pursued this field with dedication and passion. Despite knowing the risk of choosing a career of a barely trodden path, I took the plunge because I believed in its need and that I could contribute to this field meaningfully. Persistent efforts to integrate psycho-oncology into mainstream oncology are being made by psychologists, policymakers, oncologists, social workers and palliative care professionals and I will continuously strive to add my bit to this field. Cancer, as is commonly known, is an illness of the patient, as well as the family. Cancer impacts patients, caretakers, and oncologists. I observed that factors such as culture, age, caretakers beliefs, their perceptions about the illness, society, and the stigma associated with the illness are some of the barriers to truthful disclosure. This is an area within psycho-oncology that interests me and I have dedicated the past few years of my research to knowing it in depth. In this narration, I share with you an encounter with a patient which propelled me certainly and went deeply into psycho-oncology.
在选择肿瘤心理学之前，我的人生曾面临一个重要的抉择，即选择进一步深造的专业领域。当时有许多领域可供选择，而我需要独自做出决定，这不仅关乎我个人，也影响到我的家庭。2013 年（我决定专业领域的那一年），肿瘤心理学还是一个新兴领域。我坚信肿瘤心理学有一天会在印度癌症护理中得到广泛应用和欢迎，于是我全身心地投入到这个领域，并充满激情地追求它。尽管我知道选择这条尚未开拓的职业道路存在风险，但我还是毅然决然地选择了它，因为我相信它的必要性，并且我可以为这个领域做出有意义的贡献。心理学家、政策制定者、肿瘤学家、社会工作者和姑息治疗专业人员正在努力将肿瘤心理学纳入主流肿瘤学，我将继续努力为这个领域做出贡献。众所周知，癌症不仅是患者的疾病，也是整个家庭的疾病。癌症会影响患者、照顾者和肿瘤学家。我观察到，文化、年龄、照顾者的信仰、他们对疾病的看法、社会以及与疾病相关的污名化等因素，都是阻碍坦诚披露的一些障碍。这是肿瘤心理学中令我感兴趣的一个领域，我在过去几年的研究中致力于深入了解它。在这篇叙述中，我与一位患者的相遇让我坚定地投身于肿瘤心理学领域，并对此进行了深入研究。
