Mind and cancer: Is there a relationship? — A review of evidence

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Abstract
There is a common public perception that cancer is at least partly affected by psychological factors. Stress, negative attitudes, and personal crises have been cited as causes of the disease or reasons for its progression, while positive attitudes and relaxation have been suggested as possible cures. In the last two decades, research in the newly emerged field of psycho‐oncology has begun to investigate the possibility of such a relationship. There is some evidence that factors such as helplessness, hopelessness, emotional suppression, and social isolation may be associated with a higher incidence of cancer onset and poorer survival outcome. However, the large number of contradictory findings, and frequent methodological weaknesses within the research, make these findings inconclusive.