[Keywords] Cancer, psychological intervention Cancer has always been considered as the most terrible disease, and the misconception that cancer is synonymous with death is deeply imprinted in people’s minds, so it is quite common for cancer patients to have psychological problems. Therefore, it is quite common for cancer patients to have psychological problems, such as fear and depression, suspicion, insomnia, despair, anxiety and other reactions, behavioral withdrawal, suicide and so on. In addition to the necessary medication, psychosocial intervention is necessary to treat the psychological reactions and mental disorders of cancer patients. 1. Clinical data 1.1 General data 200 patients were hospitalized from May 2005 to May 2007. Among them, 132 were male and 68 were female; age: male 35~75 years old, female 30~68 years old. Lung cancer accounted for 36%, esophageal cancer for 30%, liver cancer for 12%, breast cancer for 10%, brain tumor for 6%, and tumors of other sites for 6%. Surgery patients account for 21%, radiotherapy patients account for 36% and chemotherapy patients account for 43%. 1.2 Clinical manifestations: persistent insomnia, fear, anxiety, depression in 96 cases (48%); recurrent and persistent pain in 64 cases (32%); digestive disorders, loss of appetite, constipation, weight loss in 42 cases (21%); various somatic discomforts, such as upward rush of gas, shortness of breath, pressure in the precordial area, palpitations in 34 cases (17%); loss of interest in daily life or unpleasant feeling in 80 cases (40%); significant loss of energy and a sense of well-being in 80 cases (20%). There were 115 cases (57.5%) of significant loss of energy and continuous fatigue without any reason, and 26 cases (28%) of suicidal and death thoughts. 1.3 Diagnosis and treatment: Psychological interview and psychological scale were used to diagnose the psychological disorders and mental diseases of cancer patients. On the basis of active treatment of primary diseases, anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs were added and psychological intervention was given in time. Small doses of antipsychotic drugs were used in combination with those with severe psychiatric symptoms. Most of the patients’ symptoms were significantly reduced after 1 week, and the treatment was generally maintained for 1~3 months. 2. Typical case: Female, 49 years old, diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. The patient lost interest in life after knowing her condition, felt uncomfortable all around, vomited white mucus in her mouth, and had poor sleep all day long. After 5 days of antidepressant and anxiety treatment, the patient’s anxiety disappeared, her sleep improved, the white mucus disappeared, and her pain was significantly reduced. The condition improved significantly after adjusting the dosage of treatment for 1 month. The patient, male, 36 years old, diagnosed with advanced liver cancer, was admitted to the hospital with extreme fear and dread, moaning incessantly and asking his wife and parents to grab his hands and not to let go of them for a moment. His eyes were dull and he did not answer several questions. The patient was in a state of extreme anxiety. The patient was given intravenous sulpiride 300mg once a day. Clonidine 2mg, once a night. Celete 20mg was given orally once a day in the morning. The condition started to improve on the third day, and after half a month, the condition further improved, so the sulpiride was stopped and the other drugs continued to be used. For cancer patients, psychosocial interventions can not only relieve patients’ anxiety and depression and eliminate fear, but also reduce the physical reactions caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, improve self-confidence and compliance, and even improve patients’ immune level and increase survival rate. Medical personnel should understand the specific psychological behavior problems of cancer patients and give psychological help. 3.1 Tell cancer patients true information Cancer is a heavy psychological blow to patients, who are worried about life threatening and pain caused by surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and even some patients are extremely depressed due to day-to-day thoughts, which affect appetite and sleep. To prevent these psychological reactions, many patients’ families advocate that information should be kindly withheld from the patient. But confidentiality can cause medical staff and family members to distance themselves from the patient, intentionally or unintentionally, and patients are very sensitive to information from all sides, including the tone, expressions and attitudes of those around them, and become suspicious of their ambiguous answers. Once the patient learns the truth, a serious sense of abandonment and deception will arise, and the patient’s emotional reactions such as despair, depression and sadness will be more severe. Therefore, most scholars and the World Health Organization now advocate telling cancer patients the true information. For some over-sensitive patients or those who are difficult to accept, the author’s experience can tell them that the lesion is between benign and malignant and there is a possibility of transformation into malignant without active treatment, which can increase the compliance to examination and treatment and leave a certain buffer time. 3.2 Supportive psychotherapy supportive psychotherapy is important for cancer patients at all stages, and medical personnel must grasp it comprehensively and apply it at the right time. Doctors can communicate with patients verbally or non-verbally, gradually eliminate patients’ doubts, help guide patients to analyze the problems they face by persuasion and guidance, build up their courage to live and confidence to overcome the disease, follow correct living habits, maintain emotional stability, and gradually bring the organism, neurological, endocrine and immune functions to a balanced state, which is conducive to patients’ recovery and prognosis. 3.3 To lift the emotional repression of cancer patients, research shows that cancer patients rarely have denial mechanism in the real sense. In many cases, they only act indifferent on the outside, but in fact, they consciously and forcibly control their emotions to avoid their relatives and friends from worrying too much about them, so they belong to emotional repression. The patient’s inability to vent negative emotions in a timely manner will further deteriorate the psychological environment and create more complex psychological problems. Therefore, one must be good at identifying whether the patient has true denial or emotional repression, and for patients with emotional repression, timely psychological guidance should be provided to help them express or vent their emotions. Carefully analyze the issues raised by patients, understand their wishes, provide timely and correct psychological guidance, reduce the generation of negative emotions, and enhance patients’ wishes and confidence. Moral support and encouragement from medical staff and family members can form a good atmosphere. 3.4 Correction of fear and depression The view that cancer is “terminal” has been deeply rooted, and having cancer is equal to death, therefore, cancer patients will have great fear. The fear of not being able to bear the pain and disability during the illness will in turn produce severe anxiety. Medical staff can have an open discussion with the patient through cognitive therapy and provide some reassurance. Instructing patients in relaxation exercises and providing other coping skills can help reduce fear and anxiety. Depression is a serious psychological disorder that affects health and not only accelerates deterioration, but can produce suicidal behavior in those with severe despair. Due to the influence of emotional repression, patients’ depression is not obvious and requires in-depth interview or psychological assessment to be detected. In addition to the endogenous causes of cancer patients’ depression, the more important is the psychological causes, and patients with severe depression should use antidepressants. 3.5 Management of cancer pain Pain is the most common symptom of cancer patients and one of the most difficult problems to deal with. Pain is both related to biological damage and closely related to psychosocial factors, and pain itself is still a subjective experience with large individual differences. Pain perception, perception, tolerance, evaluation of pain and pain-induced behavioral changes are more influenced by psychosocial factors. The author often uses anxiolytic drugs plus painkillers to reduce cancer pain, because once cancer pain appears, it will form a vicious cycle between mind and body. Patients with advanced cancer should control their pain with drugs early without considering too much the adverse effects of painkillers.