BREAST CANCER: THE HAPPY-MARRIAGE ADVANTAGE
Marital Bliss Can Improve Patient Outcomes
A recent study from Ohio State University finds that spousal support can improve outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Women in good relationships had lower stress levels, were more physically active, enjoyed faster recoveries and had fewer symptoms than women whose primary relationship was troubled. The study followed 100 women who were either married or living with a partner during a five-year period. All reported about the same high levels of stress at the outset.
"When you're diagnosed, that's devastating for everyone, regardless of the quality of your marriage," says study co-author Hae-Chung Yang, a research associate in psychology at Ohio State. "But women in good marriages saw steady reductions in their cancer-related stress, while women in distressed marriages had a much slower recovery."
This builds upon previous research at Ohio State University, which found that professional counseling could benefit those being treated for breast cancer. Women who participated in sessions that targeted mood improvement, coping skills and health behaviors reported less stress and tended to live longer than women who did not receive counseling.
"If psychological interventions to reduce stress are delivered early, they will improve mental health, [general] health, treatment-relevant behaviors, and potentially, biologic outcomes," the researchers write.
They followed more than 200 women for 11 years after a breast cancer diagnosis. Those randomly assigned to counseling were about half as likely to suffer a recurrence. If cancer did recur, remission lasted an average of six months longer.
The authors speculate that counseling reduced stress hormones that may promote tumor growth.