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Emotions and feelings are an important part of coping with a
cancer diagnosis. When a person is told they have cancer, these types
of questions may come up:
- Did I bring the cancer on myself?
- Can emotions really cause cancer to grow?
- I have cancer. Can I control the tumor growth by
visualizing how my body is fighting the cancer or by thinking myself
well?
- Would relaxation help cure my cancer?
Treatment that deals with our emotions and relationships
(sometimes called psychosocial
interventions) can help people with cancer feel more
upbeat and have a better quality of life. But there isn't good evidence
to support the idea that these interventions can reduce the risk of
cancer, keep cancer from coming back (prolong remission), or help the
person with cancer live longer. Still, things like imagery, hypnosis,
or relaxation can be used to help reduce the stress that often comes
with a cancer diagnosis.
Can psychotherapy help people live longer?
Research in the area of therapy, stress reduction, and cancer
has come up with mixed findings. This can confuse reporters and
patients alike. For example, a research study done in 1989 by David
Spiegel and colleagues seemed to link a difference in survival with
taking part in a support group. But other researchers who did the same
kinds of studies did not have the same outcomes.
A 2004 study review pooled the results of many well-designed
studies of cancer patients getting psychotherapy. With more than 1,000
patients in the final results, no effect was found on survival.
In 2007, other researchers looked at all the previous studies.
They found that no randomized clinical trial set up to look at survival
and psychotherapy has shown a positive effect, except in cases where
medical care was a confounding factor. (This means that one group's
medical care could have been different enough to affect the results.)
Finally, Spiegel himself tried to repeat the 1989 study in
2007 with a new group to see if the result would be the same as that of
their earlier trial. The 2007 study reported better quality of life
among those who took part in the group, but there was no difference in
survival.
In the last few decades, research has further shown that
giving cancer patients information in a support group setting helps
reduce tension, anxiety, and tiredness (fatigue), and may lower the
risk of depression. Some other studies have shown that supporting
cancer patients with keeping doctors' appointments and teaching them
about their treatment may help patients follow their treatment plan.
Keeping doctors' appointments and taking cancer treatment medicines as
prescribed may help people live longer, but this type of support is
more medical rather than mental health care.
It seems clear that support groups can affect quality of life,
but the available scientific evidence does not support the idea that
support groups or other forms of mental health therapy can help people
with cancer live longer.
Does it help to keep a positive attitude?
People with cancer and their families may feel guilty about
their emotional responses to the illness. They may feel pressure to
keep a positive attitude at all times, which may be unrealistic. This
feeling of pressure can come from within themselves or from other
people in their lives. Sadness, depression, guilt, fear, and anxiety
are all normal parts of learning to cope with major life changes -- a
cancer diagnosis is a major life change. Trying to ignore these
feelings or not talking with others about how you feel can make you
feel lonely. It can also make the emotional pain worse.
Along these same lines, there are people who want to believe
that the power of the mind can control serious diseases. This is a
comforting belief that can make a person feel safer from the risk of
serious illness. If it were true, you could use your mind to stop the
cancer from growing. But the down side of such beliefs is that when
people with cancer don't do well, they may blame themselves.
To learn more about attitude and survival, researchers looked
at the emotional well-being of more than 1,000 patients with head and
neck cancer to find out whether it affected survival. Over time, those
who scored high on emotional well-being showed no differences in cancer
growth or length of life when compared to those with low scores. Based
on what we know now about how cancer starts and grows, there is no
reason to believe that emotions are part of the cause or growth of
cancer.
Mental health treatment and emotional
support
Cancer affects your body, but it affects your emotions and
feelings, too. Mental health treatment that claims to alter tumor
growth is not recommended as the only form of cancer treatment, nor
should it be sought just because someone thinks it might prolong life.
But mental health care and emotional support can help patients and
their loved ones better manage cancer and its treatment. Talk to the
members of your cancer care team about things you can do to help
yourself through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes it also
helps to talk to other survivors who are going through the same things
you are facing.
Your attitudes, emotions, and moods can change from day to
day, and even from hour to hour. You may feel good one day and terrible
the next. Know that this is normal and that, with time, most people are
able to adjust to a cancer diagnosis and move forward with their lives.
Some may need extra help from a support group or a mental health
professional to learn to cope. Find the strength and support you need
to feel the best you can and have the best possible quality of life.
If you would like to visit a support group or talk to someone
about the life changes and emotions you are going through, ask your
health care team about the resources you can use at your hospital,
doctor's office, or clinic. You can also contact your American Cancer
Society at 1-800-227-2345 to find out about sources of support that are
available in your community.
Additional resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
We have selected some related information that may also
behelpful to you. These materials may be ordered from our toll-free
number.
No matter who you are, we can help. Contact us anytime, day or
night, for information and support. Call us at 1-800-227-2345 or
visit www.cancer.org.
References
Bennett KK, Compas BE, Beckjord E, Glinder JG. Self-blame and
distress among women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. J Behav Med.
2005;28:313-323.
Boyles S. Positive Attitude Doesn't Whip Cancer? Patients'
Positive Thinking Has No Impact on Cancer Survival, Study Shows.
October 22, 2007, WebMD Web site. Accessed at:
www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20071022/positive-attitude-doesnt-whip-cancer
on September 2, 2009.
Chow E, Tsao MN, Harth T. Does psychosocial intervention
improve survival in cancer? A meta-analysis. Palliat Med.
2004;18:25-31.
Coyne JC, Pajak TF, Harris J, et al. Emotional well-being does
not predict survival in head and neck cancer patients: a Radiation
Therapy Oncology Group study. Cancer.
2007;110:2568-2575.
Coyne JC, Stefanek M, Palmer SC. Psychotherapy and survival in
cancer: the conflict between hope and evidence. Psychol Bull.
2007;133:367-394.
Holland JC. History of psycho-oncology: overcoming attitudinal
and conceptual barriers. Psychosom
Med. 2002;64:206-221.
Kissane DW. Letting Go of the Hope That Psychotherapy Prolongs
Cancer Survival. J Clin
Oncology. 2007;25:5689-5690.
Spiegel D, Bloom JR, Kraemer HC, et al: Effect of psychosocial
treatment on survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Lancet.
1989;2:888-891.
Spiegel D, Butler LD, Giese-Davis J, et al. Effects of
supportive-expressive group therapy on survival of patients with
metastatic breast cancer: a randomized prospective trial. Cancer. 2007;
110:1130-1138.
Last Medical Review: 09/09/2009
Last Revised: 09/09/2009
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