Explain the psychological aspects of cancer.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Most people think of cancer in terms of lingering pain, and being diagnosed with the disease is typically viewed as receiving a death sentence.

Although the processes involved in the spread of cancer are basically physiological, some research suggests that the emotional responses of cancer patients to their disease may affect its course. For example, some findings show that a "fighting spirit" leads to better coping. On the other hand, there is little evidence that long-term survival rates are better than for patients with a less positive attitude.

Despite conflicting evidence, health psychologists believe that patients' emotions may at least partially determine the course of their disease. In the case of cancer, it is possible that positive emotional responses may help generate specialized "killer" cells that help control the size and spread of cancerous tumors.

Conversely, negative emotions may suppress the ability of those cells to fight tumors.

It is clear that certain types of psychological therapy have the potential for improving quality of life and even extending the lives of cancer patients.

For example, the results of one study showed that women with breast cancer who received psychological treatment lived at least a year and a half longer and experienced less anxiety and pain than women who did not participate in therapy.