Power of Positive Thinking Questioned
For many years, people diagnosed with various illnesses have been told that their attitude can help combat their disease. Putting on a happy face, the wisdom went, helps defeat cancer and other grim diagnoses. Now a study from Australia disputes the power of positive thinking, at least when it comes to lung cancer.
Researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center in Melbourne, Australia followed a group of 179 people who had been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer for five years. SCLC has an overall 15% five year survival rate - a grim statistic. However, researchers have noted that the length of survival varies widely within that five years. Lead researcher Dr. Penelope Schofield and her colleagues decided to study the effects of a positive, optimistic outlook on the length of survival of lung cancer patients.
The 179 people in the study answered questionnaires both before and after their treatment for lung cancer. The questionnaires were designed to measure optimism, and outlook on life. The final results - Schofield and colleagues found no correlation between positive outlook and length of survival in the study patients. Those with positive outlooks on life lived no longer than those who were pessimistic about their chances of survival.
Does this mean that people should abandon maintaining a positive, optimistic outlook? Not at all, Schofield says. A positive outlook most certainly affects the quality of life, if not the quantity of life. Still, she says, she is concerned about the advice to those diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses to 'put on a happy face'.
There is a heavy social pressure to maintain a positive outlook when faced with a diagnosis of lung cancer or another life-affecting disease. The idea that your outlook and optimism affects the chances of survival carries with it an 'unintentional implication' that people who have cancer are responsible for he outcome of their disease. What Schofield fears is that the pressure to remain positive and upbeat in the face of a lung cancer diagnosis may put unintentional stress and pressure on the patient and prevent them from going through the normal grieving stages.
On the other hand, a fatalistic attitude may be just as harmful. There ARE things that a person can do to improve their chances of survival. Those include adopting healthy eating habits, giving up smoking and avoiding contact with cigarette smoke, and getting regular physical activity. A pessimistic belief that nothing will help anyway may keep people from adopting new habits and taking the steps that could very well contribute to their longevity and certainly to their happiness.
What's the answer? As in most other things, the best solution may lie in balance. Schofield suggests that a supportive atmosphere that allows the patient to express their fears and pessimism without blame may be the best way to go. Jimmie Holland, MD, author of The Human Side of Cancer, agrees. In his article "The Tyranny of Positive Thinking", Holland says, "If you are surrounded by the "positive attitude police," tell them to get off your case and be realistic." Holland advocates finding a way of coping that is comfortable for you, and not allowing the beliefs of others to make an already difficult situation even more difficult by burdening you with guilt.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.