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Optimism doesn’t affect oncology patient outcomes

Physician Practice Advisor, February 11, 2004

Positive thinking may have little to no effect on cancer survival rates, according to an Australian study published in this week's "Cancer," the journal of the American Cancer Society.

Australian researches followed 179 patients suffering from lung cancer over five years and measured their levels of optimism over the course of their treatment. At the end of the study, just eight of the patients were living. Predictably, optimism waned when patients were feeling their worst and when researching their disease.

Lead study author Penelope Schofield writes: "We should question whether it is valuable to encourage optimism if it results in the patient concealing his or her distress in the misguided belief that this will afford survival benefits."

Schofield further encouraged physicians treating pessimistic patients to assure them that their feelings were valid and acceptable, but the American Cancer Society (ACS) pointed out that even if optimism doesn't lead to recovery, it can help patients learn to manage their disease.

"It is disappointing that [the study doesn't] reflect on quality of life," says Dr. LaMar McGinnis, senior medical consultant for ACS. "We did not have any illusions that optimism influences therapy, but we do believe that optimism and hope does influence the quality of life a patient has."

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