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Penn researchers find emotional well-being has no influence on cancer survival
October 22, 2007Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that emotional well-being is not an independent factor affecting the prognosis of patients with head and neck cancers. This study appears in the December 1st issue of CANCER.
"The belief that a patient's psychological state can impact the course and outcome of their cancer is one that has been prominent among patients and medical professionals, alike," says James C. Coyne, PhD, Co-Leader, Cancer Control and Outcomes Program, Abramson Cancer Center; Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at Penn; and lead author of the study. "This belief leads people to seek psychotherapy in the hopes of promoting survival. While there can be lots of emotional and social benefits of psychotherapy, patients should not seek such experiences solely on the expectation that they are extending their lives."
Study participants were enrolled in two Radiation Oncology Group clinical trials and completed a baseline measure of quality of life questionnaire which included an Emotional Well-Being subscale. The outcome measure was overall survival. The study sample included 1,093 patients, and of this group, 646 died during the length of the study. With the coupling of this large sample and the uniformity of treatment and quality of care that is required in a clinical trial, this is one of the methodologically strongest studies in this area to-date.
The researchers found that emotional status was not a predictor of survival among this population. Additionally, no effects were observed when the researchers examined interactions between emotional well-being and study protocol, gender, primary cancer site, or stage of cancer. Therefore, the study reports that "this psychologic variable neither affected progression or death directly, nor functioned as a lurking variable."
"While this study may not end the debate, it does provide the strongest evidence to-date that psychological factors are not independently prognostic in cancer management," says Dr. Coyne.
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
The researchers found that emotional status was not a predictor of survival among this population. Additionally, no effects were observed when the researchers examined interactions between emotional well-being and study protocol, gender, primary cancer site, or stage of cancer. Therefore, the study reports that "this psychologic variable neither affected progression or death directly, nor functioned as a lurking variable."
"While this study may not end the debate, it does provide the strongest evidence to-date that psychological factors are not independently prognostic in cancer management," says Dr. Coyne.
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Cancer Survival Current Events and Cancer Survival News RSSAfrican-Americans with colorectal cancer have poorer outcomes, lower survival rates
New research published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that African-American patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease and are less likely to undergo surgical procedures compared with Caucasians, suggesting that improvements in screening and rates of operation may reduce differences in colorectal cancer outcomes for African-Americans.
Small peptide found to stop lung cancer tumor growth in mice
In new animal research done by investigators at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, scientists have discovered a treatment effective in mice at blocking the growth and shrinking the size of lung cancer tumors, one of the leading causes of cancer death in the world.
Long-term tamoxifen use increases risk of an aggressive, hard to treat type of second breast cancer
While long-term tamoxifen use among breast cancer survivors decreases their risk of developing the most common, less aggressive type of second breast cancer, such use is associated with a more than four-fold increased risk of a more aggressive, difficult-to-treat type of cancer in the breast opposite, or contralateral, to the initial tumor.
Cost-effective strategy to screen second primary colorectal cancers in cancer survivors
To suggest a feasible economic strategy for second primary colorectal cancer screening of cancer survivors in Korea, A research group constructed a decision-analytic model, compared cost-effectiveness results of cancer screening in male cancer survivors.
Genetic factors implicated in survival gap for breast, ovarian or prostate cancer
A new finding reveals that African-American patients with breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer tend to die earlier than patients of other races with these cancers, even when they receive identical medical treatment and when socioeconomic factors are controlled for.
2 reproductive factors are important predictors of death from ovarian cancer
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that survival among women with ovarian cancer is influenced by age of menarche and total number of lifetime ovulatory cycles.
Researchers identify biological markers that may indicate poor breast cancer prognosis
A team of researchers has found an association between breast cancer survival and two proteins that, when present in the blood in high levels, are indicators of inflammation.
Exercise programs may improve symptoms in non-small cell lung cancer patients
Exercise is known to have a positive effect on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and a study in the May issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology has shown that exercise also plays an important role in both primary and secondary prevention of cancer.
Study of neighborhoods points to modifiable factors, not race, in cancer disparities
While cities have shown considerable racial disparities in cancer survival, those racial disparities virtually disappear among smaller populations, such as neighborhoods within that city.
New drug shows promise in treating drug-resistant prostate cancer
A new therapy for metastatic prostate cancer has shown considerable promise in early clinical trials involving patients whose disease has become resistant to current drugs.
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