227 women aged between 20 and 85 years who had undergone surgery for breast cancer were enrolled in a study and were randomly assigned into two groups, one group received a psychological intervention, while the other did not.
The psychological intervention aimed to reduce distress, improve quality of life and mood, improve heath related behaviours and to improve the women’s adherence to their cancer treatment and follow-up programme.
After 11 years follow-up and comparison, researchers found that the psychological intervention roughly halved the chances of cancer returning and affected the length of time it took for the disease to reoccur. Critics say the study highlights the importance of appropriate support for women with breast cancer.
Source: Andersen BL, Yang HC, Farrar WB. Psychologic intervention improves survival for breast cancer patients. Cancer 2008; Published Online: 17 Nov 2008
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