Psychiatric Oncology

Psychiatry services and medication management

It is not unusual for patients to experience symptoms after a diagnosis of cancer and throughout its illness trajectory. Symptoms may include anxiety, mood alterations, difficulty sleeping or increased fatigue. Many cancer treatments can also cause side effects or affect hormones, leading to a wide range of physical and emotional challenges.

Our experienced psychiatrists aim to provide a thorough biopsychosocial assessment and offer a treatment plan respective to your individualized needs. Your psychiatrist may recommend antidepressants, antianxiety medications or drugs to help improve your energy or sleep. We’re by your side and adjust medications as necessary throughout your cancer treatment journey.

Because we specialize in psychiatric oncology, our team understands how cancer or its treatments can affect the body, brain chemistry and hormones. We combine this specialized expertise with our focus on the body/mind connection to offer effective holistic care and comprehensive support.

Customized assessment

When you come to us for psychiatric care, the first step is a personalized assessment with a Simms/Mann clinician and referral to psychiatry, as appropriate. A trained Simms/Mann psychiatrist may conduct a full evaluation to assess your symptoms, cancer treatments, challenges and goals. They will review the medications you’re taking and ask about side effects. They may also refer you to other Simms/Mann Center services to round out your care.

The initial assessment is a vital part of our psychiatric care process. We may use this assessment to determine if our services are right for you and develop the most appropriate treatment plan. We will make every effort to refer patients in need of more frequent and long-term psychiatric follow-up to community services.

Team-based psychiatric oncology care

We are specially trained to prescribe and manage appropriate medication choices that can stabilize mood and reduce anxiety. As part of a multidisciplinary team, we may coordinate your care with your medical team. Our priority is to ensure that the medications we prescribe do not interfere with your cancer treatment. At the Simms/Mann Center, our psychiatrists work exclusively with cancer patients. This specialized expertise enables us to deliver the most effective care.

Our psychiatry services are billed to insurance.