Q. Since being diagnosed with colon cancer, I am often quite depressed. Some of my friends say I would improve my changes of beating the cancer if I had a "better" mental attitude. What do you think?
A. A recent study in the BMJ, the well regarded Journal of the British Medical Association, reviewed 37 previous studies to determine whether mental attitude affects survival. This study concluded that "people with cancer should not be pressured into adopting particular coping styles to improve survival or reduce the risk of recurrence." The study noted that some patients felt the pressure of being positive was a burden. While there may be other good reasons to have a positive mental attitude, you should not feel your attitude will negatively affect your chance of surviving cancer.
Para solicitar información en español, llame al 1-800-ACS-2345. Un especialista en información sobre el cáncer le asistirá en español.
