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cancer
immune enhancement
psychospiritual approaches
definition
Cancer Treatment and Psychoneuroimmunology:
"The agent of change is belief" (Simonton study). Effecting change with the power of consciousness works in direct proportion to how strongly you believe it; it lessens confusing inner messages and delivers clear directives to which the body can respond. The key is experiencing success, so begin with small experiments. (Simonton, p. 71)
For the patients, the greatest threat seemed not to be of death, but rather of pain, helplessness, rejection, and progressive isolation. Studies of chronically ill people (especially cancer patients who think in terms of disintegration) have shown how intense the fear of abandonment is. It is feared more than death itself. The patients' personal and emotional isolation is increased by a practitioner's inability to accept the emergent emotions. Facing the truths with the patient and facing the threat of deterioration reinforces the trust and the feeling of being wanted. In avoiding an open relationship and in not offering opportunities for emotional discharge, we may encourage mechanisms unfavorable to the patient's resistance to the disease. It has been suggested that those patients who have adequate avenues for discharge of tension may have a more favorable later course with cancer than those without such adaptive opportunities. (Locke, 1986, p. 224)
Prognosis: Behavioral variables affect the course of cancer. Unrelieved anxiety, helplessness, depression, and the inability to modulate the expression of anger have been implicated as specific predictors of poor prognosis. The endocrinological sequelae of these emotional states may affect certain parameters of cell-mediated immunity involved in host resistance to neoplasia. Both corticosteroids and catecholamines are likely mediators of behavioral effects on immunological function. Hormonal variations may also affect growth of tumors directly, or through non-immunological tissue specific mechanisms. Behavioral interventions based on elicitation of the relaxation response provide a means of influencing affective and physiological states that may have particular relevance to cancer. Practice of such interventions reduces anxiety and provides a substrate for coping that enhances the patient's sense of control. Such 'immunization' against helplessness can forestall depression. (Locke, 1986, p. 222)
Brain, behavior and immunity: Depressive personality traits are associated with increased risk of developing cancer and poorer response of patients to treatment. Suggest behavioral treatment to modify host resistance. Concern that adverse effects of such a program may lead to increased guilt and depression. (Locke, 1983, p. 100)
The relationship between stress, the production of adrenal corticoid hormones, the suppression of the immune system and the progression of cancer suggests that methods of reducing stress and corticoid production could play an important role in cancer treatment. Individuals who employed the relaxation response reduced the amount of peripheral norepinephrine utilization, thereby minimizing the effects of stress and learning a way of exerting control over the illness. Findings indicate that hypnosis and imagery may result in an increase in immune function for certain individuals. (Locke, 1986, p. 215, 227)
Hypnosis studies in cancer showed a marked improvement in all cases and in some there was actual tumor regression. Since most malignant processes apparently develop slowly, the patient should understand that the cancer did not begin yesterday; rather, he has probably been living with it for months or years, and still more important, he will not be dead tomorrow. It was pointed out that many people appear to have a natural immunity to cancer, that they often may live for several years without apparent progression, and therefore natural immunity can be developed. Under hypnosis it was suggested that antibody reaction would become greatly increased and that the biochemistry of the cellular growth would be altered so as to revert to a more mature phase. The picture of physiological and chemical changes expected was verbally painted for them, and amazingly enough, that appeared to be exactly what was taking place in the tissues! (Locke, 1986, p. 225)
Hypnotherapy treatment can not only lengthen life, but can also arrest or reverse the disease process. Interventions can greatly improve the quality of life. Patients can benefit from even brief treatment periods. Among the possibilities are hypnotherapy for the control of pain and side-effects of the disease or treatment, activation of the body's immune system and unconscious coping mechanism, stimulation of the will to live, and as a means to support coping with the illness. (Locke, 1986, p. 230)
Use of Hypnosis in treating 27 children over a 2 year period for pediatric malignancies: the afflicted children were trained in group trance session to induce trance in themselves. The trance state resulted in more rest, easier and longer sleep, more adequate food and fluid intake and retention, and greater tolerance and manageability during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Fear, anxiety, overdetermined response to discomfort, and anticipatory vomiting prior to treatment were diminished. (Locke, 1986, p. 241)
imagery: see: Imagery for immune enhancement
A. Meares published 17 journal articles in 1979-80 studying intensive meditation in cancer patients. A summary of the findings:
« Host resistance and the effect of a profound and sustained reduction of anxiety on the immune system are more important than the nature of the tumor. It may well be that the extreme anxiety reduction triggers off the same mechanism which activates the rare spontaneous remissions. This would be consistent with the observation that spontaneous remissions are often associated with some kind of religious experience or profound psychological reaction.
« This type of mediation is characterized by extreme simplicity and stillness of the mind; it differs from other forms using a mantra, awareness of breathing, or visualization of the healing process. The nonverbal nature of the meditative experience initiates a nonverbal philosophical understanding in other areas of life. There follows a profound reduction in the patient's level of anxiety that flows into daily life. The general reduction in the habitual level of anxiety reduces cortisone with consequent freeing of the immune system to act more effectively against the cancer.
« The use of intensive meditation by a patient with advanced cancer was followed by remission of the disease. A relapse occurred when she accompanied the meditation with vivid visualization of healthy cells eating the cancer cells. The alertness caused by the visualization interfered with the state of regression needed for the therapeutic effect (activation of the immune system) of the meditation to occur.
« Psychological regression is an essential feature of deep hypnosis, and also of intensive meditation. Psychological regression initiates the physiological regression necessary to re-establish the healing process. Age regression is another well established factor of deep hypnosis. Patients with cancer whose treatment is intensive meditation have reported a similar phenomenon. This is an ontological regression and it may initiate something akin to phylogenetic regression. Besides functioning at a regressed age level, the organism may come to function in such a way that the physiological activity of the tissues is carried out at a simpler, more primitive, biological level.
« Expected results: The results of treatment of 73 patients with advanced cancer who have been able to attend at least 20 sessions of intensive meditation indicates that nearly all such patients should expect significant reduction of anxiety and depression, together with much less discomfort and pain. There is reason to expect a 10% chance of quite remarkable slowing of the rate of tumor growth, and a 10% chance of less marked but still significant slowing. The results indicate that patients with advanced cancer have a 10% chance of regression of the growth. There is a 50% chance of greatly improved quality of life; and for those who die, a 90% chance of death with dignity.
(Locke, 1986, p. 227-230)
Strategy proposed based on the 'paradoxical intention' technique, whereby patients evoke the psychic equivalent of homeopathy and 'love' their tumor to effect self-healing. (Locke, 1986, p. 226)
affirmation: I am perfectly happy to be me. I am good enough just as I am. I love and approve of myself. I am joy expressing and receiving. (Hay, 1984, p. 183)
theotherapy: Amazons, Artemis, Cronus, Epimetheus, Niobe, Orestes, Pelops, Prometheus, Tantalus, Typhon (Lemesurier, p. 90)
Sexual rehabilitation is an important aspect of preserving a patient's quality of life after treatment for urogenital cancers. This does not usually require a specialized program, but can be an integral part of cancer treatment. (Locke, 1986, p. 260)
Patients gather strength more quickly and so avoid post-operative shock when there is an affinity between the patient, a doctor, and a particular nurse. There is a reason, perhaps a healing gift, why patients seem to get better more easily under one nurse than another. (Locke, 1986, p. 215)
S. Grof did a study in 1973 with 60 cancer patients exploring the potential of using psychedelic compounds (LSD and DPT) to alleviate emotional and physical suffering of cancer patients. There was a definite reduction in use of narcotic medication. Global indicators used as gross indicators of emotional and physical distress showed 29% with dramatic improvement, 42% moderate improvement, 23% unchanged, and 6% worsened. (Locke, 1986, p. 239)
Conceptualizing the immune system as a defense system produces an attitude that must ultimately be transcended in order for healing to occur. It is far more effective to take the attitude that we will maintain as high and exciting an energy field as possible, so that the immune system can take care of itself, per Jack Schwartz in "Healing, Love, and Empowerment". He further states that the job of the healer is to give people power to take charge of their own well-being, power which is often taken away for them by systems of health care that tend to created dependence. By embracing clients with our own energy and enthusiasm, we help them get their own energy stimulated, so that impediments to the free flow of energy are dissolved in the revived surge of 'current'. Previously, we have overpowered people instead of empowering them. We must give away power and also educate clients on how to ignite their own energies and keep producing power for themselves. The healer is an educator in the original Latin sense of the word, to 'bring forth' knowledge, in this case, self knowledge. The healer becomes a facilitator who shows people how to access their own inner wisdom and maintain certain states of energy so that transformation can take place. (Carlson, p. 19)
see:
attitudinal healing
bodymind psychobiology
cancer correlations: psychoneuroimmunology
cancer patients: personality characteristics
emotional tone scale
healing belief systems
healing power of meditation
healing power of humor
healing power of prayer
human energy fields
hypnotherapy
imagery for immune enhancement
meditation: forgiveness
meditation: pain
nocebo effect
process paradigm
relaxation techniques
search for god
stress-hardy profile
the shadow and physical symptoms
theotherapy
treatment of chemotherapy side-effects
treatment of pain
ultradian rhythms
footnotes