Study Challenges Optimism as Boone for Cancer Patients
KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: Can a positive attitude improve your chances of surviving cancer? Conventional wisdom suggests that it can. But a new study challenges that idea. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the details.</s>DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So how much does being optimistic actually affect your outcome with regards to cancer? (voice-over) Well, a lot of conventional wisdom would suggest quite a bit. In fact, there were a lot of studies in the late '80s, early '90s, observational studies looking at attitude and outcome of cancer. Well, some researchers in Australia actually decided to put it to the test now. They looked at 179 patients with a very aggressive form of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer. One hundred and seventy-one of those patients died within five years, 96 percent. (on camera) They drew some conclusions after looking at this study. Very interesting. Talking specifically about optimism and attitude. (voice-over) First of all, found no evidence that optimism was actually related to survival in lung cancer patients. First point. Second point, even more interesting in some ways, was that encouraging patients to be positive may be an additional burden. Obvious question was why would being positive be an additional burden? (on camera) And a lot of oncologists weighed in on this particular topic. And again, the study was also talking about why being optimistic might in fact not only be helpful but possibly harmful? Take a look here. (voice-over) Optimism, first of all, not a form of treatment. Everybody knows that. They recognize that. But if it's done in lieu of treatment, that could potentially be a problem. Also, patients feel guilty that they're not doing enough. (on camera) Here is the case scenario. Patient has an aggressive form of cancer. They're trying to do all the right things. They're trying to be positive, but their course is still heading southward, not in the direction they would like. All of a sudden they start to feel guilty that they're not being optimistic enough. That can be a burden. (voice-over) And finally, it can get to the point where patients in fact start to deprive themselves of doing things that are useful, including seeking treatment and things like that. (on camera) A lot of doctors obviously are going to agree and disagree on this particular topic. One doctor says patients should always hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Is there no benefit to being optimistic? Probably not. There is certainly always benefits. It may have to do with your quality of life in your last few months or your last few years. But it's important to remember for those patients who are being optimistic about their cancer treatment it shouldn't be -- optimism should not be in lieu of treatment. Patients should not deprive themselves, and they should not feel guilty if things aren't heading the way they would like. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.