Last week in grand rounds we had a speaker from Integrative Medicine discuss the role of stress, anxiety and depression in cancer survival. Without going into the meat of the science, he made a compelling case that a patient’s emotional well being is directly and even biochemically related to progression of disease. In short, stress makes tumors grow.
In light of this information, the speaker said something that really stood out for me. Although not a direct quote, it was along the lines:
“Meeting the emotional needs of a child with cancer is critical to their treatment. For adults, however, we typically leave it up to them to meet those needs.”
What he was saying: health care providers acknowledge the role of emotional support in the treatment of pediatric cancer, and go out of their way to meet the needs of those patients. Emotional support is presumably just as important in the treatment of adults, but there is much less of a focus on it from health care providers.
The hospital where I work is arguably the best in the country, having a strong integrative medicine program in addition to a commitment to scientific research. I know the patients here are having their emotional needs met to a greater degree than anywhere else in the country. What I am concerned about it the lack of emphasis this aspect of treatment is getting elsewhere.
What I hope to accomplish with this blog, at least in part, is to discuss the role of things-other-than-chemo, radiation or surgery in cancer treatment. I will also post about the basic science of cancer, recent news in cancer research, and clinical trials and how they are run. I would like this to be a place where patients can find answers and support while they are dealing with the disease. I encourage any and all comments.
Michelle, I don’t think I’d ever looked at the beginning of this blog – probably because there isn’t a timeline or categories or list of posts I have a hard time finding things and it’s luck that I’m coming across it now just at a time when I’m doing a lot of thinking about the hoops we – it can’t be just me – go through just to get seen by the right oncologist, not to mention a team.
The toll that takes emotionally is simply stunning. Thanks for starting the blog. I can use the help understanding so many facets of the disease, the system, all of it.
That you started writing just a few weeks before I discovered the mass in my breast is kind of spooky for me – then that I came across you on twitter – all while researching and writing about the outstanding work done by your hospital.
if I believed in magic . . .
By: Susan Reynolds on May 20, 2008
at 6:56 pm
Hi Susan
I’m glad you found the post! I really need to work on organizing this blog and now you’ve given me the push I need. Perhaps I will use the long weekend to get things in shape
I thought the same thing about how our paths coincided. Frozen Pea Fund began just after I started using Twitter, and really convinced me of the power of Twitter and the generosity of it’s users. I’ve been following you since your diagnosis and I’m glad you have a place where you get so much love and support. This community is exceptional, isn’t it?
By: drmiggy on May 21, 2008
at 9:42 am