Guest guest Posted November 10, 2002 Report Share Posted November 10, 2002 ----- Original Message ----- From: Kathynye@... Kathynye@... Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 2:51 PM Subject: POST: Mental attitudes have 'little effect' on cancer Subj: Mental attitudes have 'little effect' on cancer Date: 11/8/2002 4:27:00 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rubyrm@... Dear Friends, I have noticed that there has been a tendency, within some support and healing groups out there - that imply, if not out-right advocate - that illness and misfortune are somehow self induced through having a wrong attitude.It goes hand-in-hand with another popular belief; "What goes around, comes around." If that saying were truth then how would it explain all of the innocent people who were torture or died in the WWI & WWII, in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Burundi, in the Armenian massacre, in the killings fields of Cambodia, East Timor, Kosovo or the native peoples of the Americas and Hawaii and recently the snipers victims in the metropolitan area around Washington DC? How did it come back around for Hitler, Stalin and Jack the Ripper?It is time for all of those well intended but misguided, new-age, human potential gurus to realize that “shit happens†regardless of what is on your mind. Thankfully, there is now some empirical evidence to counteract this way of offering help and support to people who have experienced illness, loss and misfortune. Ruby Rahn http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory & c=StoryFT & cid=1035873113067Mental attitudes have 'little effect' on cancer By Clive CooksonPublished: November 8 2002 4:00 | Last Updated: November 8 2002 4:00 There is a popular belief that the mental attitude of cancer patients affects their chances of surviving the disease. But a systematic review in today's British Medical Journal says there is little evidence to support the idea. Researchers led by Mark Petticrew of the MRC Social and Public Health Studies Unit in Glasgow reviewed 26 studies on the effect of "psychological coping styles" - including fighting spirit, helplessness/ hopelessness, denial and avoidance - on the progress of cancer. Whether the patient adopted an attitude of "acceptance", "fatalism" or "denial" had little influence on the outcome.Although an association between psychological attitude and cancer is biologically plausible - the brain can influence the immune system and hormone levels throughout the body - it is not supported by good clinical evidence.The authors conclude that people with cancer should not feel under pressure to adopt particular coping styles to improve survival or reduce the risk of recurrence Additional Stories Cancer Patients' Attitudes Unrelated to SurvivalReuters, UK - 4 hours agoBy Charnicia E. Huggins. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While cancerpatients may be told that staying upbeat is good for their health ... 'Fighting spirit' does not boost cancer survivalNew Scientist, UK - 22 hours agoA positive mental attitude does not improve a cancer patient's chancesof survival, UK researchers say. Their conclusion is based ... Positive thinking 'has no impact on cancer survival'Independent, UK - 07 Nov 2002By nce Health Editor. The widespread belief that thinking positivelyprolongs survival from cancer is a myth, researchers say today. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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