Ricerc@Sapienza

Stress of Working in Oncology
Oncology is a medicine area of high psychic investment. Working
with cancer patients is a source of human and professional satisfaction
but can involve high emotional costs [1,2]. High levels of burnout and
compassion fatigue are reported by about 32% of oncologists [3,4] this
percentage rises to 70% among people under 40 years [5]. High levels
are also found among nursing staff with marked levels of emotional
exhaustion [6]. Repeated exposure to suffering and loss, to the side
effects and/or the failure of treatments to the end of life stages, to feeling
overwhelmed by work, are among the causes of chronic distress that
medical staff accumulate in clinical practice. Care of cancer can result
in emotional distress and exhaustion, loss of empathy, and demotivation
from work [7]. Of no less importance is the “difficult” communications
that are estimated at around 20,000 in the career of an oncologist [8].