Emotions Dont Matter When Treating Cancer
Reported October 23, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — The power of a positive attitude may not be powerful enough to fight cancer. A new study reveals emotional well-being is not a factor affecting the outcome for patients with head and neck cancer.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania studied 1,093 head and neck cancer patients involved in a clinical trial, 646 of which died during the duration of the study. Each participant completed a quality of life questionnaire during his or her treatment. The questionnaire included an emotional well-being subscale. Factors like gender, tumor size and disease stage were also accounted for. Analyzed data showed emotional functioning was not an independent predictor of survival.
We left no stone unturned, and we werent able to find evidence that emotional well being predicted survival, James Coyne, Ph.D., professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, told Ivanhoe.
Although similar studies have been conduced in the past, study authors say this is one of the methodologically strongest. According to Dr. Coyne, the strength of the research came from the homogeneous population of the study and the death rate.
There was a relatively large sample of patients who died, so we ruled out statistical chance, Dr. Coyne said. We also wanted a uniformity of treatment, and looking at patients involved in a clinical trial did that.
Researchers plan to study further the effects of gender on survival in the future. We found that women tend to do better than men, but women without partners dont dont do any worse. But men do worse. So, it seems having a partner is a benefit to a man but not a women, Dr. Coyne said.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with James Coyne, M.D.; Cancer, 2007;110