Is it true that a positive attitude prevents cancer?

In recent decades, the belief that staying positive can prevent cancer and contribute to overcoming this disease. These ideas are based on a very small number of investigations; however, the global analysis of the current scientific evidence reveals that they are wrong.

The main causes of cancer are related to environmental risk factors. Tobacco consumption, obesity, infections, radiation, sedentary lifestyle and exposure to polluting substances stand out. Although psychological factors can influence this disease to some degree through the degree of stress, its overall weight is low.

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The relationship between positive attitude and cancer

Various research meta-analyzes have been carried out on the possible association between psychological factors and the development or progression of cancers. In a synthetic way we can affirm that a relationship has not been found between a positive attitude and the prevention or recovery of these diseases.

The case of breast cancer has been particularly studied, in part because some of the studies that supported the hypothesis that a positive attitude prevents this disease had been carried out with women affected with this type of cancer.

No significant associations have been found between breast cancer prevention and survival and psychological factors such as the degree of psychosocial stress, social support or the coping style of the stress. However, there is a personality factor that does seem to be associated with cancer, as we will explain later.

Another study looked at a sample of more than 1,000 head and neck cancer patients. No relationship was found between emotional well-being and survival time to the disease, nor to the rate of growth of the cancer.

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Psychological factors influencing cancer

Eysenck and Grossarth-Maticek, among other authors, have described a personality factor associated with the development of cancer: rationality-anti-emotionality, which would be defined as the tendency to emotional suppression, with a predominance of rationalization. This trait is conceptualized as a negative reaction to situations that cause stress.

Although these two authors had linked cancer to a greater extent with people with a tendency to hopelessness, scientific research has not supported this hypothesis. On the contrary, there is some evidence that rationality-anti-emotionality can influence the appearance of cancer.

If this approach is confirmed, the most likely explanation would have to do with two facts: cancer is a set of diseases associated with the immune system (that is, the body's defenses) and chronic stress have immunosuppressive effects. Stress favors the development of cancer, although less than tobacco, obesity or infections.

It is true that psychological factors can favor the appearance or progression of cancer, but it seems that they only do so indirectly. This is exemplified in the data on coping with stress, but especially in behavioral habits that negatively affect the body like smoking or eating improperly.

Psychotherapy focused on this disease

During the last decades, various psychological therapies have been developed for the treatment of cancer. Others focus on the prevention of these diseases, and even on the modification of personality factors supposedly related to cancer.

A particularly striking case is that of visualization therapy developed by Simonton in the 80's. This program consists of visualizing the body's defenses destroying cancer cells, as well as promoting a positive attitude in general. We have not found independent studies on the effectiveness of this "treatment."

There is also the creative innovation behavior therapy, developed by Eysenck and Grossarth-Maticek based on their own hypothesis. It focuses on the development of new behavior patterns that replace the attitudes that the authors associate with the appearance and progression of cancer. Again, it has been studied basically by its own creators.

If we are guided by the available scientific evidence, we can conclude that psychological intervention in cancer should focus on prevention of major risk factors (tobacco and alcohol consumption, inadequate diet, sedentary lifestyle, etc.) as well as in adherence to medical treatments, rather than in the famous “positive attitude”.

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Bibliographic references:

• Butow, P. N., Hiller, J. E., Price, M. A., Thackway, S. V., Kricker, A. & Tennant, C. C. (2000). Epidemiological evidence for a relationship between life events, coping style and personality factors in the development of breast cancer. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 49 (3): 169-81.

• Coyne, J. C., Stefanek, M. & Palmer, S. C. (2007). Psychotherapy and survival in cancer: the conflict between hope and evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 133 (3): 367-94.

• Philips, K. A., Osborne, R. H., Giles, G. G., Dite, G. S., Apicella, C., Hopper, J. L. & Mine, R. L. (2008). Psychosocial factors and survival of young women with breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 26 (29): 4666-71.