JOURNAL of
ONCOLOGICAL
SCIENCES


Stem Cells and Psyche: Perspectives and a Review of the Literature
Received Date : 16 Oct 2019
Accepted Date : 03 Apr 2020
Available Online : 24 Jun 2020
Doi: 10.37047/jos.2019-71899 - Article's Language: EN
J Oncol Sci.2020;6(2):103-18
ABSTRACT
In the 20th century, bone marrow transplantation evolved great expectations in the medical community and gained enormous popularity in society ever since. With the discovery of other stem cell sources, the designation of ‘bone marrow transplantation’ was replaced with ‘stem cell transplantation’ in clinical practice. The adaptation and response of patients, patient relatives, custodians, donors, and healthcare providers to current treatment approaches developed a serious psychosocial entity. Moreover, the psychosocial entity can be further complicated by various organic mental diseases, which may arise as a consequence of serious illnesses and burdensome treatments. An independent area of expertise is essential to evaluate, diagnose, and solve all these problems with a scientific approach. Correlating the organic and psychological components of the patient’s condition, facilitating communication between patients, doctors, families, and hospital systems, and counseling-liaison work have emerged as one of the most challenges of psychiatric skills. This necessitated the presence of a Consultation- Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) that undertakes this mission. First, basic principles and associated features of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from the perspective of the clinician, patient relatives, and custodians, and expectations will be discussed. Afterward, the transplant unit from the viewpoint of the patient relatives and custodians and the perspective of child psychiatry and symptoms of burnout in an HSCT team will be discussed. Thereafter, the experiences and difficulties faced by the HSCT team in being a researcher and a student will be analyzed. Finally, ethical and legal issues pertaining to our country and the world will be discussed. We hope that this review will provide a scientific interpretation to the healthcare providers who experience the same difficulties in many different areas.