Phase II study of psychotherapeutic intervention in advanced cancer.

The effect of psychosocial counseling on tumor progression was studied in 96 cancer patients, who were no longer amenable to regular medical treatment. Patients were offered 12 session of individual experiential-existential counseling, each sessions lasting 1.5 to 2 hours. In addition patients participated fortnightly in group counseling meetings. In five out of 35 evaluable patients, tumor growth became stationary during or immediately following therapy. In four patients this stationary period last 3-9 months, and in one patient 2 years. Natural Killer cell activity, self-reported loneliness, depression, purpose in life and locus of control showed no change from pre- to post intervention.

[Spontaneous regression of cancer; a description of 7 cases]. / Spontane regressie van kanker; een beschrijving van 7 casus.

OBJECTIVE: To trace and describe patients with spontaneous regression of cancer (SRC) in the Netherlands. SETTING: The Helen Dowling Institute for biopsychosocial medicine. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHOD: Informal collection and collection by means of calls in two local medical journals. In these calls colleagues were asked to suggest possible candidates to contact the investigator. Upon contact permission was obtained to collect the medical data. When SRC could be established an interview was conducted with the patient and with persons in his environment. RESULTS: Seven patients with spontaneous regression of cancer were traced. These spontaneous regressions concerned adenocarcinoma (2 cases), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2 cases), mesothelioma, undifferentiated carcinoma or sarcoma (liver) and choriocarcinoma (1 case each). CONCLUSION: A call for cases in two local medical journals for colleagues proved to be a fast and inexpensive searching method. None of these cases had been published previously. The frequency of SRC in the period of 1980 upto and including 1989 in the Netherlands can be estimated to be at least 1:100,000.