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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It appears counseling may help some cancer patients reduce stress and increase quality of life. A new study shows people with melanoma benefit greatly from just four counseling sessions. The study, led by researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., focused on melanoma, because it accounts for nearly 80 percent of skin cancer-related deaths.
Previous studies show this patient group is under a great deal of stress from the point of diagnosis. Doctors identified significant levels of emotional distress such as anxiety and depression in nearly 30 percent of patients. They write, "Distress has been associated with decreased quality of life (QOL), increased recurrence and mortality rates, increased costs and utilization of resources, and decreased adherence to treatment, including chemotherapy."
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Forty-eight patients were included in the study. They either received standard care or were given four counseling sessions. All patients were surveyed to measure emotional distress. The patients in the counseling group did not show any change in their stress levels during the sessions. However, significant reductions in anxiety appeared right after the intervention. It also appeared to improve their quality of life.
Doctors say the benefits of therapy were not shown six months later. They say it is vital that treatment continues so as to lower stress levels and improve quality of life. They will continue to study how to maximize the benefits past six months, as well as how to enroll more patients into counseling sessions.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Cancer, 2003;98:854-864
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