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An expert spoke with CURE® about the emotional bonds that can develop while treating patients with cancer.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, has announced that her cancer is in remission, but revealed in a candid moment that she felt connected to her port mechanism through which drugs were administered.
During a Jan. 14 visit to Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where she’d received treatment, the princess said of her port, “I got so attached to it,” with the Associated Pres noting that she joked that she had been almost reluctant to have hers removed when told she no longer needed it.
Dr. Frank J. Penedo of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, in an interview CURE®, said that he doesn’t often hear of patients becoming attached to their port, but he is familiar with patients developing an emotional connection with their care teams.
“It's not uncommon… for the patient to have a sense of loss and disconnection from their care team, because they become such a critical part of their lives and such an emotional connection occurs with them,” said Penedo, Associate Director, Cancer Survivorship and Translational Behavioral Sciences; Director, Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care; and Director, Biopsychosocial Mechanisms and Health Outcomes (BMHO) Lab, at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Miami, Florida .
While at the Royal Marsden, Kate thanked the medical team for their support and spoke with other patients, the Associated Press reported.
“I wanted to come and show my support for the amazing work that’s going on here, and for those who are going through treatment and having such a hard time,” she said.
Kate announced in March 2024 that she had received a diagnosis of cancer, and said in September that she had finished chemotherapy treatments. The type of cancer has never been disclosed.
Penedo spoke with CURE® about the emotional bond that can form between patients with cancer and their care teams.
I do hear [abut] a lot of emotional attachment to the care teams. It's not uncommon, even when it's good news and the patient is told, ‘You're in remission, the treatment has worked, we'll see you in months,’ for the patient to have a sense of loss and disconnection from their care team, because they become such a critical part of their lives and such an emotional connection occurs with them.
These are individuals — and I have to really give credit to not only the physicians, but the nursing teams, the social workers, the psychologists — the entire care team that works with these patients really are invested in not only making sure that the treatments are set up so that the patient can develop an optimal response, but also that they can live their best possible lives.
So it's [about] adjusting to the new normal, and of course, these patients are going to develop a connection to those individuals that are helping them navigate the challenges of living with cancer.
Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
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