The human mind is both complex and unique. It is also extremely powerful. Think about the placebo effect, which is generally believed linked to our psychological ability, and has resulted in people healing themselves by simply believing that they are in better health. That goes to show how much we can accomplish when we untap the full potential of our mental strength.
This ability to harness the power of our mind to overcome any obstacle cuts across all areas, including cancer. In fact, here's an article that shows how it can work:
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Intervention Program Boosts Survival In Breast Cancer Patients
ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2008) — A new study provides the best evidence to date that a psychological intervention program designed for breast cancer patients not only improves their health – it actually increases their chance of survival.
Researchers at Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center found that patients participating in an intervention program reduced their risk of dying of breast cancer by 56 percent after an average of 11 years.
Participants in the program, which taught strategies to reduce stress, improve mood and alter health behaviors, also reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 45 percent.
“The results suggest that we can help breast cancer patients make positive steps that may help them live longer and make recurrence less likely,” said Barbara Andersen, lead author of the study and a member of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and professor of psychology.
“We already knew a psychological intervention program could help breast cancer patients to handle their stress, function more effectively, and improve their health. Now we know it does even more.”
In addition to improving survival and reducing recurrence, the intervention program had other positive effects, said Andersen.
Among patients who died of breast cancer, those who participated in the intervention program lived longer – an average of 6.1 years for program participants versus 4.8 years for those who were simply assessed.
Intervention participants were also less likely to die from causes other than breast cancer, such as heart disease or other cancers. For those who died of any cause, participants in the intervention lived an average of 6 years compared to 5 years for those who didn’t.
“Many of the strategies patients learned in the intervention program, such as stress reduction, may have protected them from heart disease and other causes of death,” said Andersen, a member of Ohio State’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research.
Andersen said this study was unique in several ways. In the 1980s and 90s, two separate studies found higher survival rates for cancer patients who participated in intervention programs; one study involved breast cancer patients whose disease had already recurred, and the other study included newly diagnosed melanoma patients. But these studies were not designed to look at how the interventions affected survival rates. When other researchers tried to replicate these results, they found no effect for intervention programs.
This new study, though, was designed to look specifically at recurrence and survival rates, Andersen said. In addition, the intervention program is different and so are the participants in the study.
Participants in the Ohio State study had Stage II and III breast cancer, which means their chance of survival were better than those with Stage IV cancer (which means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body), but not as good as those diagnosed with Stage I.
“We wanted those patients in the middle, where we felt we had the most chance of influencing their future course with the disease,” she said.
How did the intervention program help cancer patients?
“We believe the significant psychological improvements and behavior changes may have been critical,” according to Andersen.
For example, the researchers found that patients in the intervention group who had the greatest reductions in distress and physical symptoms were those who practiced progressive muscle relaxation most frequently. They also understood and remembered that continued stress could hurt their health and now knew several ways to reduce stress.
“We found a strong relationship between patients’ use of the intervention strategies we taught them and better health,” she said.
Previous research with the same women in this study showed that women in the intervention showed signs of improved immune function compared to those who did not participate. That is most likely related to the lower levels of distress they felt, Andersen said.
Overall, the results show a promising new way to help treat cancer patients, she said.
“If psychological interventions to reduce stress are delivered early, they can improve mental health, health, and possibly even their odds of survival.”
Source: ScienceDaily; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117082040.htm
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Could this be proof that we can rope in a natural, free resource -that of our sheer mental capacity -in our fight against cancer? It might very well be. In any case, keeping a positive attitude about life everyday is the best thing to do. At the very least, it will allow you to stay happy no matter what you do, or what condition or place you are in!
W.
This ability to harness the power of our mind to overcome any obstacle cuts across all areas, including cancer. In fact, here's an article that shows how it can work:
--------------------------------------------------
Intervention Program Boosts Survival In Breast Cancer Patients
ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2008) — A new study provides the best evidence to date that a psychological intervention program designed for breast cancer patients not only improves their health – it actually increases their chance of survival.
Researchers at Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center found that patients participating in an intervention program reduced their risk of dying of breast cancer by 56 percent after an average of 11 years.
Participants in the program, which taught strategies to reduce stress, improve mood and alter health behaviors, also reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 45 percent.
“The results suggest that we can help breast cancer patients make positive steps that may help them live longer and make recurrence less likely,” said Barbara Andersen, lead author of the study and a member of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and professor of psychology.
“We already knew a psychological intervention program could help breast cancer patients to handle their stress, function more effectively, and improve their health. Now we know it does even more.”
In addition to improving survival and reducing recurrence, the intervention program had other positive effects, said Andersen.
Among patients who died of breast cancer, those who participated in the intervention program lived longer – an average of 6.1 years for program participants versus 4.8 years for those who were simply assessed.
Intervention participants were also less likely to die from causes other than breast cancer, such as heart disease or other cancers. For those who died of any cause, participants in the intervention lived an average of 6 years compared to 5 years for those who didn’t.
“Many of the strategies patients learned in the intervention program, such as stress reduction, may have protected them from heart disease and other causes of death,” said Andersen, a member of Ohio State’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research.
Andersen said this study was unique in several ways. In the 1980s and 90s, two separate studies found higher survival rates for cancer patients who participated in intervention programs; one study involved breast cancer patients whose disease had already recurred, and the other study included newly diagnosed melanoma patients. But these studies were not designed to look at how the interventions affected survival rates. When other researchers tried to replicate these results, they found no effect for intervention programs.
This new study, though, was designed to look specifically at recurrence and survival rates, Andersen said. In addition, the intervention program is different and so are the participants in the study.
Participants in the Ohio State study had Stage II and III breast cancer, which means their chance of survival were better than those with Stage IV cancer (which means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body), but not as good as those diagnosed with Stage I.
“We wanted those patients in the middle, where we felt we had the most chance of influencing their future course with the disease,” she said.
How did the intervention program help cancer patients?
“We believe the significant psychological improvements and behavior changes may have been critical,” according to Andersen.
For example, the researchers found that patients in the intervention group who had the greatest reductions in distress and physical symptoms were those who practiced progressive muscle relaxation most frequently. They also understood and remembered that continued stress could hurt their health and now knew several ways to reduce stress.
“We found a strong relationship between patients’ use of the intervention strategies we taught them and better health,” she said.
Previous research with the same women in this study showed that women in the intervention showed signs of improved immune function compared to those who did not participate. That is most likely related to the lower levels of distress they felt, Andersen said.
Overall, the results show a promising new way to help treat cancer patients, she said.
“If psychological interventions to reduce stress are delivered early, they can improve mental health, health, and possibly even their odds of survival.”
Source: ScienceDaily; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117082040.htm
--------------------------------------------------
Could this be proof that we can rope in a natural, free resource -that of our sheer mental capacity -in our fight against cancer? It might very well be. In any case, keeping a positive attitude about life everyday is the best thing to do. At the very least, it will allow you to stay happy no matter what you do, or what condition or place you are in!
W.
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