Is It True That A Positive Attitude Prevents Cancer?
In recent decades, the belief has become popular that maintaining a positive attitude can prevent the appearance of cancer and contribute to overcoming this disease. These ideas are based on a very small amount of research; However, the global analysis of the currently existing scientific evidence reveals that they are erroneous.
The main causes of cancer are related to environmental risk factors. Highlights include tobacco consumption, obesity, infections, radiation, a sedentary lifestyle and exposure to polluting substances. Although psychological factors can influence this disease to a certain degree through the degree of stress, their weight in general is low.
The relationship between positive attitude and cancer
Various meta-analyses of research have been carried out on the possible association between psychological factors and the development or progression of cancers. In summary, we can affirm that no relationship has been found between a positive attitude and the prevention or recovery of these diseases.
The case of breast cancer has been particularly studied in part because some of the studies that supported the hypothesis that a positive attitude prevents this disease had been carried out with women affected with this type of cancer.
No significant associations have been found between breast cancer prevention or survival and psychological factors such as the degree of psychosocial stress, social support or stress coping style. However, there is a personality factor that does seem to be associated with cancer, as we will explain later.
Another study analyzed a sample of more than 1,000 patients with neck and head cancer. No relationship was found between emotional well-being and survival time to the disease, nor with the rate of cancer growth.
Psychological factors that influence cancer
Eysenck and Grossarth-Maticek, among other authors, have described a personality factor associated with the development of cancer: rationality-anti-emotionality which would be defined as the tendency to emotional suppression, with a predominance of rationalization. This trait is conceptualized as a negative reaction to situations that cause stress.
Although these two authors had linked cancer to a greater extent with people with a tendency toward hopelessness, scientific research has not supported this hypothesis. On the other hand, there is some evidence that rationality-anti-emotionality can influence the appearance of cancer.
If this approach is confirmed, the most likely explanation would have to do with two facts: cancer is a set of diseases associated with the immune system (that is, the body’s defenses) and chronic stress has immunosuppressive effects. Stress favors the development of cancer although less than tobacco, obesity or infections.
It is true that psychological factors can favor the appearance or progress of cancer, but it seems that they only do so indirectly. This is exemplified in the data on coping with stress, but especially in behavioral habits that negatively affect the body such as smoking or eating improperly.
Psychotherapy focused on this disease
During the last decades, various psychological therapies have been developed aimed at treating cancer. Others focus on the prevention of these diseases, and even on the modification of personality factors supposedly related to cancer.
A particularly striking case is that of visualization therapy developed by Simonton in the 80s. This program consists of visualizing the body’s defenses destroying cancer cells, as well as promoting a positive attitude in general. We have found no independent studies on the effectiveness of this “treatment”.
There is also the creative innovation behavior therapy, developed by Eysenck and Grossarth-Maticek based on their own hypothesis. It focuses on the development of new behavioral patterns that replace the attitudes that the authors associate with the appearance and progression of cancer. Again, it has been studied basically by its own creators.
If we are guided by the available scientific evidence, we can conclude that psychological intervention in cancer should focus on the prevention of main risk factors (tobacco and alcohol consumption, inadequate diet, sedentary lifestyle, etc.) as well as in adherence to medical treatments, rather than in the famous “positive attitude.”
Philips, KA, Osborne, RH, Giles, GG, Dite, GS, Apicella, C., Hopper, JL & Mine, RL (2008). Psychosocial factors and survival of young women with breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 26(29): 4666-71.
