Very little is known in the psycho-oncology literature about why psychological interventions are effective or for how long these interventions exert an impact. Given many cancer patients experience recurrence and/or progression, it is important to know whether our relatively brief interventions facilitate how patients cope with this most-feared medical event. From a theoretical perspective, the study will advance our understanding of the mechanisms for change for two common treatment approaches, supportive and cognitive behavioral therapies.
Subjects will be enrolled and upon completion of a baseline survey, randomized to into one of three arms - Communication Skills Intervention, Supportive Counseling, and Usual Care. Subjects will complete surveys during the course of the interventions.
