Was leistet Spiritual Care in der Onkologie?

Existential questions and spiritual needs belong to the regular spectrum of demands among patients suffering from serious illness—analogous to physical symptoms for psychosocial stress. Existential crisis and the need for spiritual support arise paradigmatically in patients suffering from advanced or life-limiting cancer but also among cancer patients with a comparably good prognosis. Structured tools for identifying these needs already exist and could find application in the intended general screening process of certified cancer centers. The palliative care concept of “total pain” might help to understand and promote the therapeutic relevance of existential suffering and spiritual care.