Can cutting stress aid cancer recovery?

Providing psychological support could prolong the lives of people diagnosed with breast cancer, a new study suggests.

Cancer patients undergo a significant amount of stress before, during, and after treatment. Experts have theorised that providing mental-health services in addition to cancer care may improve patients' health and even increase chances of survival.

Research, published in Cancer – the journal of the American Cancer Society - found that sessions focusing on improving mood, coping effectively and altering health behaviours significantly reduced levels of stress.

Dr Barbara Andersen and colleagues at the Ohio State University conducted a randomised clinical trial with newly diagnosed breast cancer patients that tested whether receiving a psychological intervention could reduce the negative effects of stress and ultimately change the course of a patient's disease.

After positive results, the authors hypothesise that psychological interventions may affect immune changes that are secondary to stress hormones and that may promote cancer growth or metastasis.

The authors wrote: "If efficacious psychological interventions to reduce stress are delivered early, they will improve mental health, health and treatment-relevant behaviours, and potentially, biologic outcomes.

"If so, there is the possibility for improved survivorship and survival for cancer patients.”

Breakthrough Breast Cancer's comment;

Dr Sarah Rawlings, Head of Policy and Involvement at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says;

"This is a very small study and other research has not shown a link between psychological interventions and increased survival in patients with early breast cancer. Regardless of this study, we know that alongside treatment, psychological support can be very important for many breast cancer patients to enhance their quality of life and reduce distress."

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