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Mindfulness and psychosocial care in cancer: Historical context and review of current and potential applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2012

Paul B. Greene ,
Errol J. Philip ,
Shannon R. Poppito  and
Julie B. Schnur
Paul B. Greene*
Affiliation:
Deptartment of Oncological Sciences, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
Errol J. Philip
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Shannon R. Poppito
Affiliation:
Independent Practitioner, Pasadena, California
Julie B. Schnur
Affiliation:
Deptartment of Oncological Sciences, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Paul B. Greene, Deptartment of Oncological Sciences, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave Levy Place, Box 11-30, New York, NY 10029. E-mail: paul.greene@mssm.edu
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Abstract

Mindfulness-based interventions and mindfulness techniques have become increasingly popular in psychosocial care.  These interventions have also been increasingly used with cancer patients and survivors. However, more attention is due to issues such as how these techniques may be specifically relevant for an oncology population and whether the religious derivation of mindfulness should be considered by frontline psychosocial clinicians. This article provides a history and overview of the use of mindfulness in psychosocial cancer care.

Keywords

Psycho-oncologyMindfulnessMeditationCancer
Type
Review Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 287 - 294
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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