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Research to date suggests a positive attitude has no influence over whether or not someone survives cancer. If I were to ask you: does the way a person copes psychologically with a diagnosis of cancer make any difference to how well they do, it's quite likely you'd say, 'of course'. And the reason is that we've a deep-seated belief (supported by media coverage) in the power of the mind. The unspoken question though is which coping style actually works? Is it anger and wanting to fight the disease? Is it determination to ignore the cancer and get on with life? Is it someone who's filled with peace? And, is someone who feels hopeless, just condemning themself? A group in the UK has sought as many studies as they could lay their hands on and come with the following: The quality of research to date has been very poor. Studies which have shown an effect from coping styles have been small and unreliable. There was no good evidence suggesting the way someone copes with cancer has any significant effect on his or her outcome. Which means a lot less guilt for people with cancer until better research is done and a lot less pressure to keep smiling.
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