Warning - Emotional Attitude Impact On Cancer Patients

Does the emotional state of a cancer patientreporting may be doing a great disservice to
have an impact on the progress of a cancer? Thiscancer patients and their families. One could easily
very sensitive question understandably never failsassume from reading these reports that the case
to generate controversy.of the impact of attitude and cancer was now
Recent media reports might lead many toclosed.
conclude that the question has now beenWhat many of the reports failed to include was
answered with a study claiming that there is nothat this study is already drawing criticism from
connection between attitude and cancer.other experts. In digging a little deeper, examples
However, looking deeper into the study theseof published reports of this criticism can be found.
reports are based on shows that the jury is likelyFor example, Dr. David Spiegel (associate
still very much out on the question.chairman of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at
Recently, a study from the University ofStanford University School of Medicine in
Pennsylvania (still yet to be published) wasCalifornia) is reported (U.S. Health News, 22/10
reported as concluding that the emotional attitude07) as observing, "The authors (Coyne et al)
of a patient had no impact on survivor rate. Thisvastly overstate the quality of their data and the
conclusion was widely and prominently carried infindings. They used a subscale of a quality-of-life
the North American media. The front page leadmeasure which is hardly a reliable measure of
headline in my Montreal newspaper was typicaldepression and provides, by definition, limited
"Attitude Can't Beat Cancer" (Montreal Gazette,variance in mood, making it, by design, difficult to
October 22, 2007).show a relationship with any other variable."
The apparent strength of the study was in theDr. Spiegel noted further "But positivity or
number of the patients. The study, expected tonegativity are not the issue. What matters is the
be published in the Dec. 1 issue of Cancer,way in which a cancer patient approaches the
apparently drew data from almost 1,100 patientsstresses in his or her life."
enrolled in two phase III clinical trials for new headJust these two aspects indicate to me that the
and neck cancer treatments. The patientsstudy's conclusion is far from the definitive last
completed questionnaires about their attitude andword on the subject that it is portrayed to be. If
social networks at the beginning of the study andan expert of the caliber of Dr, Spiegel challenges
at follow-up. The questionnaire included fiveboth the methodology and the relevance of the
questions to assess emotional well-being, includingquestions that the study asks, the least I can
such items as "I am sad" and "I am losing hope inconclude is that the jury is still very much out on
my fight against my illness." By the end of thethis important question.
five-year study, 646 patients died. When the dataThe truly sad thing about all this is that people's
was analyzed, the researchers found thatattitudes may be unnecessarily negatively
emotional status had no effect on the course ofinfluenced by reading such reports with who
the cancer or the patient's survival.knows what damaging implications for their health.
In the rush for attention grabbing headlines and toWe need to demand higher standards from our
get out a story, relevant and important criticismpress when they are dealing with such important
of the study was missed by many of those inquestions. This is no area for simplistic thinking.
the media. The conclusion as reported soundsWhat it does emphasize again to me is the need
plausible and authoritative. However, suchfor much more thorough research in this area.