Emotional support may slow ovarian cancer

Roman Bystrianyk · medicine forum Guru Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 454

Anthony J. Brown, MD, "Emotional support may slow ovarian cancer",
Reuters, June 16, 2005,
Link:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=8811159

Among women with advanced ovarian cancer, those with more psychosocial
support may fare better, researchers report.

They found that women with a strong support system have lower levels of
a pro-inflammatory compound, interleukin-6 (IL-6), in the blood. High
levels of IL-6 have been linked to faster progression and shorter
survival with this malignancy.

"It's relatively unusual for cancer studies looking at psychosocial
factors to also look at relationships in the tumor microenvironment,"
Dr. Susan K. Lutgendorf, from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, told
Reuters Health.

The findings, reported in the medical journal Cancer are based on a
study of 61 women who completed surveys regarding social support,
distressed mood, and quality of life before undergoing surgery for
ovarian cancer. Pre-operative blood samples as well as abdominal fluid
(i.e., from the tumor environment) obtained during surgery were tested
for IL-6 levels.

Social attachment was linked to lower blood levels of IL-6, the report
indicates. Conversely, poorer health-related quality of life was tied
to higher IL-6 levels.

Similar findings were seen with IL-6 levels in abdominal fluid.

"Our findings suggest that lowering IL-6 levels around the tumor may be
one possible mechanism by which psychosocial support has a beneficial
effect on ovarian cancer," Lutgendorf concluded.

SOURCE: Cancer, July 15, 2005.

HGHDOC · medicine forum beginner Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 15

Very interesting work, thanks.

www.antiagingatlanta.com

news.bluecom.no · medicine forum beginner Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 1

Has anyone experienced that this article is correct?

I am a sufferer of this illness, and I am therefore curious to know whether
emotional support really works.

Would love to hear happy stories from other sufferers.

Best regards
Moura Darling

"Roman Bystrianyk" <rbystrianyk@gmail.com> skrev i melding
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