PTSD often follows a cancer diagnosis. Research out of the National University of Malaysia in Bangi has found that many people diagnosed with cancer also develop PTSD and may continue to have this condition after their cancer subsides. Lead study author, Caryn Mei Hsien Chan, Ph.D., evaluated 469 adults who had been diagnosed with various types of cancer. They were assessed for PTSD symptoms six months following their diagnosis, and again four years later. At the six-month mark, Chan and her team found that participants had a 21.7 percent incidence of PTSD symptoms, and that dropped to 6.1 percent at the four-year check-up. However, one-third of the participants diagnosed before showed constant and/or worsening signs of this condition at that point. These findings highlight the importance of screening for PTSD in cancer patients early in the process to allow for maximum treatment and healing.

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