title: Spirituality and healing.
abstract: Spirituality can exert a tremendous impact on ones health and promote recovery from trauma and illness, including cancer. Throughout the history of mankind, spirituality and religion have played a major role in healing a variety of physical and mental illnesses. Cancer is one of the most devastating illnesses, as it affects ones physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being. An increasing body of scientific literature supports the concept that spirituality can significantly improve healing from cancer and promote the coping response of caregivers and healthcare professionals. We believe that spirituality is an important component of the healing process and should be integrated with conventional medicine to treat this complex disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA. mh_torosian@fccc.edu
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Torosian
authors.forename: Veruschka R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Biddle
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013140:Spiritualism; D029181:Spirituality