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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Advances in Psychosocial and Neurological Aspects in Supportive Cancer Care
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Advances in Psychosocial and Neurological Aspects in Supportive Cancer Care

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 22 May 2026 | Viewed by 2707

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Philip R. Debruyne

E-Mail Website1 Website2 Website3
Guest Editor
1. Department of Medical Oncology, Kortrijk Cancer Centre, AZ Groeninge, Kortrijk, Belgium
2. School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
3. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
Interests: oncology; pharmacology; supportive cancer care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Patricia Schofield

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
Interests: pain and dementia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Laura Tack

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Kortrijk Cancer Centre, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
Interests: supportive cancer care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Psychosocial and neurological issues in supportive oncology refer to the emotional, cognitive, social, and other psychological challenges that cancer patients, survivors and their caregivers face during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. These issues are increasingly recognized as important factors in health-related quality of life (QoL).

Supportive oncology involves the prevention, detection, and medical and non-medical management of psychosocial and neurological issues, which impact QoL. Advances in psychological counseling, social support, pain management, mind–body techniques, and drug development are rapidly occurring within the field of supportive cancer care. This also includes monitoring long-term consequences and the development or optimization of (digital) health services. Additionally, several programs are being developed to facilitate patient empowerment, such as creative therapies.

For this Special Issue, we request articles addressing innovative approaches for optimizing psychosocial and neurological complaints. We are interested in quantitative trials (cohort/intervention/transversal); qualitative trials; semi-quantitative studies (e.g. Delphi); studies on the optimization of diagnostics, quality of care, and health systems; and medical–economic-driven studies. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Philip R. Debruyne
Prof. Dr. Patricia Schofield
Dr. Laura Tack
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • supportive cancer care
  • neuropsychology
  • psychosocial
  • quality of life
  • pain management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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20 pages, 847 KB  
Article
Mindfulness and Basic Hope in Patients with Pelvic Cancer: Examining Illness Acceptance and Fear of Recurrence Within a Multiple Mediation Model
by Dariusz Krok, Ewa Telka, Sebastian Binyamin Skalski-Bednarz and Mariusz G. Kuźniar
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(5), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16050503 - 5 May 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Mindfulness has been identified as a protective factor in promoting adaptive psychological outcomes among cancer patients, yet the mechanisms linking mindfulness to fundamental existential beliefs, such as basic hope, remain underexplored. In addition, mediational processes underlying these relationships remain understudied. Building [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Mindfulness has been identified as a protective factor in promoting adaptive psychological outcomes among cancer patients, yet the mechanisms linking mindfulness to fundamental existential beliefs, such as basic hope, remain underexplored. In addition, mediational processes underlying these relationships remain understudied. Building on the theoretical framework of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, we tested a serial multiple mediation model in which illness acceptance and fear of recurrence sequentially mediated the association between mindfulness and basic hope. Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with pelvic cancer (N = 273) who were undergoing oncological treatment completed questionnaires measuring mindfulness, illness acceptance, fear of recurrence, and basic hope. Mediation analysis was used to examine multiple mediation effects. Results: Illness acceptance also functioned as a single mediator between mindfulness and basic hope. In contrast, fear of recurrence was not a mediator between mindfulness and basic hope. The main finding was the serial mediation pathway through illness acceptance and fear of recurrence. The indirect effects showed that mindfulness was positively associated with illness acceptance dimensions—life satisfaction during illness, reconciliation with the disease, and self-distancing from the disease—which, in turn, were negatively associated with fear of recurrence, ultimately relating to higher levels of basic hope. Conclusions: The findings highlight the critical role of acceptance- and fear-related processes in sustaining basic hope among cancer patients and suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may foster adaptive adjustment to illness. Implications for clinical practice include integrating mindfulness and acceptance-focused strategies to enhance hope and support emotional well-being in patients coping with cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Psychosocial and Neurological Aspects in Supportive Cancer Care)
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16 pages, 653 KB  
Study Protocol
Targeting Fear of Cancer Recurrence with Internet-Based Emotional Freedom Techniques (iEFT) and Mindfulness Meditation Intervention (iMMI) (BGOG-gyn1b/REMOTE)
by Laura Tack, Lore Mertens, Marte Vandeweyer, Fien Florin, Emma Pauwels, Thaïs Baert, Tom Boterberg, Christel Fontaine, Kurt Geldhof, Caroline Lamot, Christine Langenaeken, Jeroen Mebis, Laure-Anne Teuwen, Katherine Vandenborre, Heidi Van den Bulck, Florence Van Ryckeghem, Mohammad Najlah, Patricia Schofield and Philip R. Debruyne
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(9), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15090900 - 22 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1766
Abstract
Approximately one-third of cancer survivors report a need for professional help to cope with Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR). In the REMOTE trial, we aim to investigate the efficacy of two internet-based mind-body techniques to address this currently unmet medical need. Cancer survivors, [...] Read more.
Approximately one-third of cancer survivors report a need for professional help to cope with Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR). In the REMOTE trial, we aim to investigate the efficacy of two internet-based mind-body techniques to address this currently unmet medical need. Cancer survivors, screened using the Cancer Worry Scale (CWS), are randomly assigned to one of the three study groups: (1) internet-based emotional freedom techniques (iEFT) (n = 113), (2) an active control condition internet-based mindfulness meditation intervention (iMMI) (n = 113), or (3) a wait-list control group (WLC) (n = 113). The interventions iEFT and iMMI are conducted remotely using Microsoft Teams (Microsoft, Redmond, WA), and participants have access to an online platform via the MyNexuzHealth application (nexuzhealth NV, Hasselt, Belgium). The primary endpoint is the level of FCR. Secondary outcomes are emotional distress and quality of life (QoL). If iEFT and/or iMMI appear to be effective in reducing FCR, they could be readily implemented in clinical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Psychosocial and Neurological Aspects in Supportive Cancer Care)
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