title: Effect of psychosocial treatment on survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: The effect of psychosocial intervention on time of survival of 86 patients with metastatic breast cancer was studied prospectively. The 1 year intervention consisted of weekly supportive group therapy with self-hypnosis for pain. Both the treatment (n = 50) and control groups (n = 36) had routine oncological care. At 10 year follow-up, only 3 of the patients were alive, and death records were obtained for the other 83. Survival from time of randomisation and onset of intervention was a mean 36.6 (SD 37.6) months in the intervention group compared with 18.9 (10.8) months in the control group, a significant difference. Survival plots indicated that divergence in survival began at 20 months after entry, or 8 months after intervention ended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, California.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spiegel
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gottheil
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D011788:Quality of Life; D011897:Random Allocation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors