Maintaining a positive attitude does not guarantee cancer victims a greater chance of survival, according to new research released on Saturday. This finding, presented on October 19 at a meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology in Nice, France, goes against previous others that suggest a positive outlook does increase the survival rate of cancer. Now, cancer victims are left to decide for themselves what to believe.
"This study may be very discouraging to people who are already prone to depression and anxiety," says Carolyn Ingram, Ph.D., herself a two time cancer survivor and a psychologist in Kentfield, California. "The advice I would give is [to give weight to] other studies that have come to the exact opposite conclusion."
Caring for one's mental health remains important, says Ingram, even if the new study's conclusion is correct. "Who knows if it will change the length of time that you live, but it will certainly make it easier to cope with treatment and improve the quality of your life," she says.
