Researchers at Ohio State University have just published a randomised clinical trial of pyschological interventions in women with breast cancer. Here’s the summary conclusion –
breast cancer patients who participate in intervention sessions focusing on improving mood, coping effectively, and altering health behaviors live longer than patients who do not receive such psychological support. The study indicates that reducing the stress that can accompany cancer diagnosis and treatment can have a significant impact on patients’ survival.
This was a study of 227 women who had been treated for breast cancer for an average of 11 years. Half of them were given an intervention designed to address stress and help them cope better psychologically (I can’t find the actual detail of the intervention yet!). The intervention group experienced about half the recurrence rate of the others and that group also had about half the risk of death from breast cancer.
Two things interest me about this trial. Firstly, it shows that non-drug, non-surgical interventions in serious conditions like cancer can both positively influence the course of the disease and even reduce the chance of dying from the cancer. Secondly, by reporting improved mood, and healthy behavioural changes, the researchers highlight the value of interventions which make living better. I recently wrote about death avoidance and made a plea for health care which is focused on living. This little trial is a piece of that jigsaw. It not only shows the potential for such interventions but it begins to make the case for such approaches to become routine.
Heroes Not Zombies 
This reminds me of an artist friend who has battled cancer on and off for a good portion of her adult life. Several years ago she began keeping a visual journal, avidly chronicling her ups and downs, trials and tribulations, through writings, collage, drawings. It’s amazing how her art, especially her journals, has brought a certain zeal to her life, despite the extreme hardships. Eventually, her work was made into prints, extended into sculpture and workshops and exhibits. Talk about taking a negative and turning it into a positive. The sad thing is, almost a year ago, we went on a weekend road trip to NYC and had a blast seeing the sights and sounds for a couple of days. She was like the energizer bunny, going all over the place – it was difficult to keep up. She had developed a terrible cough though, and a month later, after a near brush with death (she had a cough attack that nearly caused her to choke), she was taken to the ER where they discovered cancer had spread to her lung. During her attack, she had nerve damage to her arms (long story) which essentially took away her ability to make art. Through sheer willpower and determination, she has been recovering through rehab, not discouraged by the fact that she currently can’t draw or paint like the master she once was – skills that take years to develop, and is once again working in her journals.
This was a very interesting article. I wonder if those who conducted the study are aware of the work of Gerhard Hamer the physician who developed german new medicine.
http://www.germannewmedicine.ca/documents/welcome.html
I found the idea behind it fascinating and it certainly seems to correlate with the above article.
Regards