High Spirits May Not Help in Cancer Survival
Questions as to Relationship of Quality-of-life to Emotional Well-being in Cancer Sufferers
The largest study of its type conducted into survival rates and the psychological impact of cancer, patients from two radiation oncology groups were tracked. The 1,093 patients suffered from head and neck cancer with over 600 of the participants losing their battle with the disease over the duration of the trial.
Their emotional wellbeing was assessed using a standardised test for the assessment of emotional wellbeing. This data was then matched to survival rates, determining that those with a high score (which indicates high emotional wellbeing) were no more likely to survive that those with low emotional wellbeing.
Many important issues to those suffering from cancer, however, were omitted from this study.
Firstly, all patients received radiotherapy. Without studying a cross section of patients, such as those who had opted to not receive therapy, those who received chemotherapy, and those who received a combination of radio and chemotherapy, the study outcomes can only be said to be true for those receiving this specified treatment, for the specified complaint - i.e. head and neck cancer.
Secondly, the quality of life of the patients was not considered in the study, The simple fact remains that the length of an individuals life has no relation to their quality of life. The adverse effect of publishing findings such as those of the Pensylvania study, may detract from the need for a healthy emotional life for those suffering from life threatening disease, who should be encouraged to follow a happy and emotionally fulfilling life, whether its length is for 8 months or 80 years.
Taking time to smell the roses, and making sure your personal relationships and your relationship to your self is secure, kind and loving, are all important steps in maintaining a good quality of life, regardless of its length.
Published by Amber Vercoe
Graduated Naturopathy in 2005, majoring in Clinical Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Diagnosis. 2005-6 Lecturing Anatomy and Physiology, along with Applied Clinical Nutrition, focussing on Nutrition for pathologi... View profile
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