Psychological Help AIDS Cancer Patients

Psychological interventions for cancer patients help ease emotional distress and improve general health, an Ohio State University Medical Center study found.

The study involved 227 breast cancer patients at the center diagnosed with Stage II or Stage III breast cancer. All had received mastectomies and underwent chemotherapy during the study.

Half the patients received the intervention — weekly meetings in groups of eight to 12 with a clinical psychologist. The sessions, which lasted four months, included training on relaxation and coping with stress, strategies to improve health behaviors, information on the value of exercise, communication skills for dealing with physicians, and other related issues.

After four months, participants met monthly for another eight months.

At the beginning of the study, and again at four and 12 months, trained research nurses evaluated the participants using a standard 100-point scale. Symptoms and signs and treatment side effects increased by 29 percent in those who didn’t participate in the intervention, but only 14 percent in those who took part, reported the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

Patients who exercised received a higher dose of the chemotherapy drug Taxol, possibly improving their overall treatment.