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Effects of psychotherapy on cancer survival

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 2, pages 383–388 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The possibility that psychotherapy could extend survival time for cancer patients has attracted attention among clinical investigators interested in the mind–body connection, among cancer patients seeking the best possible outcome and among the general public. A small number of randomized trials have been conducted, and they have produced conflicting results. Does emotional support affect the course of cancer? What physiological pathways might mediate such an effect? Given what we now know, should we change the standard of care for cancer patients?

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Figure 1: Psychosocial intervention improves survival in a retrospective study.
Figure 2: Psychosocial intervention does not improve survival in a replication study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, 94305-5718, California, USA

    David Spiegel

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DATABASES

Cancer.gov

breast cancer

cervical cancer

colorectal cancer

Hodgkin's disease

leukaemia

lung cancer

lymphoma

melanoma

non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

prostate cancer

LocusLink

interferon-α

progesterone receptor

Medscape DrugInfo

tamoxifen

FURTHER INFORMATION

American Cancer Society

National Cancer Institute

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Spiegel, D. Effects of psychotherapy on cancer survival. Nat Rev Cancer 2, 383–388 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc800

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