Does Change in Emotional Expression Mediate Cancer Survival?
Initial Award Abstract (1995) This proposal addresses the BCRP priority issues of prevention of breast cancer and prevention of disease progression. The overarching goal of this project is to determine the specific therapeutic component linking participation in supportive/expressive group therapy to observed differences in disease progression in women with metastatic breast cancer. Past research with supportive/expressive group therapy has shown that survival was extended in metastatic breast cancer patients by 18 months, doubling the survival time of a matched control group (Spiegel et al, 1989). It is vital that we begin to understand the possible therapeutic mechanisms and the underlying related physiological mechanisms responsible for this surprising finding of increased survival. Therefore, I propose to determine if change in emotional expression, amount of talk-time, or emotional control are therapeutic mechanisms related to survival, immune and endocrine function, and well-being
