Patients and physicians alike have embraced the notion that emotional health could play a strong role in the success of cancer treatment, leading some to seek psychotherapy in the hope of improving their chance of survival.

"While there can be lots of emotional and social benefits of psychotherapy," notes James C. Coyne, PhD, lead author of the study, "patients should not seek such experiences solely on the expectation that they are extending their lives." Dr. Coyne is co-leader of the Cancer Control and Outcomes program at the Abramson Cancer Center and a professor of psychology in psychiatry at Penn.

No Survival Advantage

The study participants -- 1,093 patients who were enrolled in radiation oncology clinical trials -- completed an initial quality of life questionnaire that included an emotional well-being subscale. During the course of the study, 646 of the patients died.

The participants' emotional status was not a predictor of their survival, the researchers found. Further, the researchers saw no effects when they examined interactions between emotional well-being and study protocol, gender, primary cancer site, or stage of cancer.

The "psychologic variable neither affected progression or death directly, nor functioned as a lurking variable," the study concludes.

Strong Evidence

Considering the size of the sample and the uniformity of treatment and quality of care required in a clinical trial, this is one of the methodologically strongest investigations of the relationship between emotional well-being and cancer outcomes ever undertaken.

"While this study may not end the debate, it does provide the strongest evidence to-date that psychological factors are not independently prognostic in cancer management," says Dr. Coyne.