There is a great deal of positive research regarding the use of hypnotherapy as an adjunct treatment for cancer related issues. Pain, nausea, fear and anxiety are the most common problems, and it's important to grasp all these negative emotions create stress, and stress damages the immune system, the very thing that you really need firing on all cylinders... with a turbo!
Which leads me to psychoneuroimmunology and how hypnotherapy opens those paths. Psychoneuroimmunology is the science of the mind's ability, via the nervous system, to influence the immune system. To potentially super-enhance the immune system.
How do we best utilise the mind to stimulate these paths? Hypnosis of course, or in the hands of a health expert, hypnotherapy.
​
See Immune enhancement.
​
From the research below...
​
"Clinical hypnosis in cancer settings provides symptom reduction (pain and anxiety)
and empowers patients to take an active role in their treatments and procedures". (Neron)
​
"Findings suggest that imagery-hypnosis may be prophylactic, benefitting patients by reducing the probability of postoperative complications and thereby keeping hospital stay within the expected range". (Rapkin)
​
"Hypnosis was shown to be more effective than nonhypnotic techniques for reducing procedural distress in children and adolescents with cancer". (Zeltzer)
​
"Comparisons of baseline and posthypnosis reports suggest that hypnosis was successfully used for acute and chronic pain, anxiety, unpleasant body sensations and, possibly, nausea and vomiting". (Ellenberg)
​
“Relaxation therapy, guided imagery and hypnotherapy can be very beneficial in helping patients cope with the [cancer] diagnosis and treatment. Intriguingly, there is some evidence that they may prolong life". (Walker)
​
​
Montgomery, Guy H.; Hallquist, Michael N.; Schnur, Julie B.; David,
Daniel; Silverstein, Jeffrey H.; Bovbjerg, Dana H. (Feb 2010).
Mediators of a Brief Hypnosis Intervention to Control Side Effects
in Breast Surgery Patients: Response Expectancies and Emotional
Distress. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol 78(1),
80-88.
Objective: The present study was designed to test the hypotheses that response
expectancies and emotional distress mediate the effects of an empirically validated
presurgical hypnosis intervention on postsurgical side effects (i.e., pain, nausea, and
fatigue). Method: Women (n = 200) undergoing breast-conserving surgery (mean
age = 48.50 years; 63% White, 15% Hispanic, 13% African American, and 9%
other) were randomized to a hypnosis or to an attention control group. Conclusions:
The results demonstrate the mediational roles of response expectancies and
emotional distress in clinical benefits associated with a hypnotic intervention for
breast cancer surgical patients. More broadly, the results improve understanding of
the underlying mechanisms responsible for hypnotic phenomena and suggest that
future hypnotic interventions target patient expectancies and distress to improve
postsurgical recovery.
Liossi, Christina; White, Paul; Hatira, Popi. (Apr 2009). A
Randomized Clinical Trial of a Brief Hypnosis Intervention to
Control Venepuncture-related Pain of Paediatric Cancer Patients.
Pain, Vol 142(3), 255-263.
Venepuncture for blood sampling can be a distressing experience for a considerable
number of children. A prospective controlled trial was conducted to compare the
efficacy of a local anaesthetic (EMLA) with a combination of EMLA with self-hypnosis in the relief of venepuncture-induced pain and anxiety in 45 paediatric
cancer outpatients (age 6–16 years). A secondary aim of the trial was to test
whether the intervention will have a beneficial effect on parents’ anxiety levels
during their child’s procedure. Patients were randomized to one of three groups:
local anaesthetic, local anaesthetic plus hypnosis, and local anaesthetic plus
attention. Results confirmed that patients in the local anaesthetic plus hypnosis
group reported less anticipatory anxiety, and less procedure-related pain and
anxiety, and were rated as demonstrating less behavioural distress during the
procedure than patients in the other two groups. Parents whose children were
randomized to the local anaesthetic plus hypnosis condition experienced less
anxiety during their child’s procedure than parents whose children had been
randomized to the other two conditions. The therapeutic benefit of the brief
hypnotic intervention was maintained in the follow-up.
Schnur, Julie B.; David, Daniel; Kangas, Maria; Green, Sheryl;
Bovbjerg, Dana H.; Montgomery, Guy H. (Apr 2009). A Randomized
Trial of a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Hypnosis
Intervention on Positive and Negative Affect during Breast Cancer
Radiotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 65(4), 443-455.
Breast cancer radiotherapy can be an emotionally difficult experience. The present
study examined the effectiveness of a multimodal psychotherapeutic approach,
combining cognitive-behavioural therapy and hypnosis (CBTH), to reduce negative
affect and increase positive affect in 40 women undergoing breast cancer
radiotherapy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either CBTH or
standard care. Participants completed weekly self-report measures of positive and
negative affect. Repeated and univariate analyses of variance revealed that the
CBTH approach reduced levels of negative affect [F(1, 38) = 13.49; p = .0007, ?² =
.56], and increased levels of positive affect [F(1, 38) = 9.67; p = .0035, ?² = .48],
during the course of radiotherapy. Additionally, relative to the control group, the
CBTH group demonstrated significantly more intense positive affect [F(1, 38) =
7.09; p = .0113, d = .71] and significantly less intense negative affect [F(1, 38) =
10.30; p = .0027, d = .90] during radiotherapy. The CBTH group also had a
significantly higher frequency of days where positive affect was greater than
negative affect (85% of days assessed for the CBTH group versus 43% of the
Control group) [F(1, 38) = 18.16; p = .0001, d = 1.16]. Therefore, the CBTH
intervention has the potential to improve the affective experience of women
undergoing breast cancer radiotherapy.
Ebell, Hansjörg. (Mar 2008). The Therapist as a Travelling
Companion to the Chronically Ill: Hypnosis and Cancer Related
Symptoms. Contemporary Hypnosis, Vol 25(1), 46-56.
The complex interaction of pain, other symptoms and suffering in cancer patients
requires a treatment approach that integrates psychological as well as
pharmacological interventions. The supplementation of a pharmacological pain
treatment concept based on WHO-guidelines by the use of self hypnosis was
examined in a controlled clinical follow up study: 61 of 342 patients with cancer
related pain referred to the Interdisciplinary Pain Unit of Munich University Clinic
were included. Using a parallel design we found a statistically significant reduction
of pain and suffering after the first four weeks for treatment A (with self-hypnosis)
in comparison to treatment B (without self-hypnosis). The utilization of hypnosis
requires an intensive subjective exchange over a period of time between the patient
and the therapist, who embark as travelling companions on a journey through
uncharted territory. Three case reports serve as an example for three different ‘time
windows’ of this travelling companionship of therapists and patients: short
term/crisis intervention, cooperation for several weeks/coping enhancement, and
long term/psychotherapy.
Néron, Sylvain; Stephenson, Randolph. (Jul 2007). Effectiveness of
Hypnotherapy with Cancer Patients’ Trajectory: Emesis, Acute
Pain, and Analgesia and Anxiolysis in Procedures. International
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Vol 55(3), 336-354.
Clinical hypnosis in cancer settings provides symptom reduction (pain and anxiety)
and empowers patients to take an active role in their treatments and procedures. The
goal of this paper is to systematically and critically review evidence on the
effectiveness of hypnotherapy for emesis, analgesia, and anxiolysis in acute pain,
specifically in procedures with an emphasis on the period from 1999 to 2006.
Further, it aims to provide a theoretical rationale for the use of hypnosis with cancer
populations in the whole spectrum of illness/ treatment trajectory in several clinical
contexts. Finally, a treatment protocol for management of overt anxiety and phobic
reactions in the radiotherapy suite is presented, with the intent of having such a
protocol empirically validated in the future.
Peynovska, Rumi; Fisher, Jackie; Oliver, David; Mathew, V. M.
(2005). Efficacy of Hypnotherapy as a Supplement Therapy in
Cancer Intervention. European Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Vol
6(1), 2-7.
Aim of the Study: To study the benefits of Hypnotherapy, as a supplement therapy
in the management of terminally ill patients. Method: All the patients who took part
in the trial were day hospice patients of Ann Delhom Centre, Wisdom Hospice,
Rochester, UK. Patients were offered three hypnotherapy sessions and were
assessed before the first session and after the third one together with a follow up
after 3/4 months after the last session. Particular attention was paid to: 1.
management of anxiety, depression, anger, frustration 2. management of pain,
fatigue, insomnia 3. management of side-effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy
4. visualization to promote health improvement. All hypnotherapy sessions were
individually tailored to cover the specific individual needs. Results: At the end of
the study data was analysed to evaluate the effect of Hypnotherapy on the
individual quality of life, life expectancy, cost savings to the hospital in terms of
reduced medication and need for medical care.
Walker, Leslie G. (2004). Hypnotherapeutic Insights and
Interventions: A Cancer Odyssey. Contemporary Hypnosis, Vol
21(1), 35-45.
Despite advances in molecular biology and therapeutics, cancer continues to be a
major source of morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis and treatment are often
stressful, and high levels of psychological and psychiatric disorders have been
reported consistently over the last 20 years. However, there is evidence that much
of this distress is preventable by providing a support service that is open-access and
fully integrated functionally and geographically with other parts of cancer services.
This paper reviews the findings of some of the interventional research carried out
by the author and his colleagues over the past 20 years. These studies have provided
evidence that relaxation therapy, guided imagery and hypnotherapy can be very
beneficial in helping patients cope with the diagnosis and treatment. Intriguingly,
there is some evidence that they may prolong life, although further studies are
required to clarify this. In the meantime, however, it is clear that much can be done
to prevent, as well as to treat, cancer-related problems.
Handel, DL. (Feb 2001). Complementary Therapies for Cancer
Patients: What Works, What Doesn’t, and How to Know the
Difference. Texas Medical Association, 97(2), 68-73.
Cancer patients, with their multiple symptoms and layers of suffering, are
presenting many challenges to the treating physician and are turning to
complementary mind-body therapies in increasing numbers. The utilization of
mind-body medicine and other complementary therapies is growing at rates faster
than Western medicine, and physicians are more commonly being questioned about
potential benefits and risks of these therapies. This article discusses hypnosis and
mind-body approaches in the care of the cancer patient, and offers suggestions
regarding the evaluation of complementary medicine therapies.
Hall, Michael; Lynn, Steven Jay. (2000). Hypnotic Treatment of
Women with Breast or Gynaecological Cancer. In Hornyak, Lynne
M. (Ed); Green, Joseph P. (Ed), Healing From Within: The Use of
Hypnosis in Women’s Health Care. Dissociation, Trauma, Memory,
and Hypnosis Book Series, (pp. 139-160). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
In this chapter, the authors review the incidence and emotional impact of breast and
gynaecological cancer (e.g., cervical, ovarian, endometrial) and discuss the
usefulness of hypnosis as an adjunctive treatment for women with these cancers.
Spiegel, D; Moore, R. (Aug 1997). Imagery and Hypnosis in the
Treatment of Cancer Patients. Oncology, 11(8), 1179-89, discussion
1189-95. Hypnosis has been shown to be an effective method for controlling cancer pain. The
techniques most often employed involve physical relaxation coupled with imagery
that provides a substitute focus of attention for the painful sensation. 10-year
follow-up of a randomized trial involving 86 women with cancer showed that a year
of weekly “supportive/expressive” group therapy significantly increased survival
duration and time from recurrence to death. This intervention encourages patients to
express and deal with strong emotions and also focuses on clarifying doctor-patient
communication. Numerous other studies suggest that suppression of negative affect,
excessive conformity, severe stress, and lack of social support predict a poorer
medical outcome from cancer.
Steggles, S., Damore-Petingola, S., Maxwell, J., Lightfoot, N. (1997).
Hypnosis for Children and Adolescents with Cancer: An
Annotated Bibliography, 1985-1995. Journal of Paediatric Oncology
Nursing, Vol. 14, 27-32.
This annotated bibliography reviews the professional literature published in
English, from 1985 to 1995 inclusive, on the subject of the use of hypnosis with
paediatric cancer patients. Books, chapters, and journal articles are included. This
bibliography contains 37 items organized into three categories: (1) General
Discussions; (2) Case Reports or Case Studies: and (3) Experimental and
Nonexperimental Group Designs. This is an update of a previously published
annotated bibliography, also presented in this Journal, which explored the
relationship between hypnosis and paediatric cancer in journal articles published
from 1960 to 1985.
Jacknow, D. S., Tschann, J. M., Link, M. P., Boyce, W. T. (1994).
Hypnosis in the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Related Nausea and
Vomiting in Children: A Prospective Study. Journal of
Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics, Vol. 15, 258-64.
To study the effectiveness of hypnosis for decreasing antiemetic medication usage
and treatment of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in children with cancer,
we conducted a prospective, randomized, and controlled single-blind trial in 20
patients receiving chemotherapy for treatment of cancer. Patients were randomized
to either hypnosis or standard treatment. The hypnosis group used hypnosis as
primary treatment for nausea and vomiting, using antiemetic medication on a
supplemental (p.r.n.) basis only, whereas the control group received a standardized
antiemetic medication regimen. Patients in the hypnosis group used less p.r.n
antiemetic medication than control subjects during both the first (p < .04) and
second course of chemotherapy (p < .02). The two groups did not differ in severity
of nausea and vomiting. The hypnosis group experienced less anticipatory nausea
than the control group at 1 to 2 months postdiagnosis (p < .02). Results suggest self-hypnosis is effective for decreasing antiemetic medication usage and for reducing
anticipatory nausea during chemotherapy.
Sutters, K. A., Miaskowski, C. (1992). The Problem of Pain in
Children with Cancer: A Research Review. Oncology Nursing
Forum, Vol. 19, 465-71.
The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the research studies conducted on
paediatric cancer pain over 13-1/2 years. The review of the cancer pain research
studies is organized around several concepts that include approaches to cancer pain
assessment and management as well as the presentation, incidence, and aetiology of
pain associated with childhood malignancy. Relevant clinical findings from the
review of the literature are highlighted. Emphasis is on the major nursing
implications from these studies, and suggestions are made for future nursing
research.
Levitan, A. A. (1992). The Use of Hypnosis with Cancer Patients.
Psychological Medicine, Vol. 10, 119-31.
Hypnosis has proven to be extremely valuable in the treatment of cancer patients.
Specific applications include: establishing rapport between the patient and members
of the medical health team; control of pain with self-regulation of pain perception
through the use of glove anaesthesia, time distortion, amnesia, transference of pain to
a different body part, or dissociation of the painful part from the rest of the body;
controlling symptoms, such as, nausea, anticipatory emesis, learned food aversions,
etc.; psychotherapy for anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, hostility, frustration,
isolation, and a diminished sense of self-esteem; visualization for health
improvement; and, dealing with death anxiety and other related issues. Hypnosis
has unique advantages for patients including improvement of self-esteem,
involvement in self-care, return of locus of control, lack of unpleasant side effects,
and continued efficacy despite continued use.
Rapkin, D. A., Straubing, M., Holroyd, J. C. (1991). Guided Imagery,
Hypnosis and Recovery from Head and Neck Cancer Surgery: An
Exploratory Study. International Journal of Clinical and
Experimental Hypnosis, Vol. 39, 215-26.
The value of a brief, preoperative hypnosis experience was explored with a sample
of 36 head and neck cancer surgery patients. 15 patients volunteered for the
experimental hypnosis intervention. 21 patients who received usual care (no
hypnosis) were followed through their hospital charts and were used as a
comparison group. Hypnotic intervention and usual care groups were comparable in
terms of relevant demographic variables. Postoperative hospitalizations for the
hypnotic intervention group were significantly shorter than for the usual care group.
Findings suggest that imagery-hypnosis may be prophylactic, benefitting patients
by reducing the probability of postoperative complications and thereby keeping
hospital stay within the expected range.
Zeltzer, L. K., Dolgin, M. J., LeBaron, S., LeBaron, C. (1991). A
Randomized, Controlled Study of Behavioural Intervention for
Chemotherapy Distress in Children with Cancer. Paediatrics, Vol.
88, 34-42.
Fifty-four paediatric cancer patients were studied to determine the relative efficacy
of two forms of behavioural intervention for reducing chemotherapy-related distress.
Following baseline assessment, subjects were randomly assigned to receive either
hypnosis, non-hypnotic distraction/relaxation, or attention placebo (control) during
the subsequent identical chemotherapy course. Observational and interview
measures of anticipatory and post-chemotherapy nausea, vomiting, distress, and
functional disruption served as outcome data. Results indicated that treatment
condition was the single best predictor of change from baseline to intervention, with
children in the hypnosis group reporting the greatest reduction of both anticipatory
and post-chemotherapy symptoms. The cognitive distraction/relaxation intervention
appeared to have a maintenance effect in which symptoms did not get much worse
or much better, while children in the control group had symptoms that consistently
became worse over time. Emetic potential of the chemotherapy and the prophylactic
use of antiemetics each appeared to contribute to the overall severity of symptoms.
While the efficacy of hypnosis in the management of chemotherapy distress is
supported, the complexities of interacting biologic and psychologic factors are
highlighted.
Kellerman, J., Zeltzer, L., Ellenberg, L., Dash, J. (1983). Adolescents
with Cancer. Hypnosis for the Reduction of the Acute Pain and
482 Journal of Heart-Centred Therapies, 2010, Vol. 13, No. 1
Anxiety Associated with Medical Procedures. Journal of Adolescent
Health Care, Vol. 4, 85-90.
Eighteen adolescents with cancer were trained in hypnosis to ameliorate the
discomfort and anxiety associated with bone marrow aspirations, lumbar punctures,
and chemotherapeutic injections. Two patients rejected hypnosis. The remaining 16
adolescents achieved significant reductions in multiple measures of distress after
hypnosis training. Preintervention data showed no pattern of spontaneous remission
or habituation, and, in fact, an increasing anticipatory anxiety was observed before
hypnotic treatment. Group reductions in pain and anxiety were significant at levels
ranging from p less than 0.02 to p less than 0.002 (two-tailed t-tests). Significant
reductions were also found in Trait Anxiety.
Zeltzer, L., LeBaron, S. (1982). Hypnosis and Nonhypnotic
Techniques for Reduction of Pain and Anxiety During Painful
Procedures in Children and Adolescents with Cancer. Journal of
Paediatrics, Vol. 101, 1032-5.
Hypnosis was compared with nonhypnotic behavioural techniques for efficacy in
reducing pain and anxiety in 27 children and adolescents during bone marrow
aspiration and in 22 children and adolescents during lumbar puncture. During bone
marrow aspiration pain was reduced to a large extent by hypnosis (P less than
0.001) and to a smaller but significant extent by nonhypnotic techniques (P less
than 0.01), and anxiety was significantly reduced by hypnosis alone (P less than
0.001). During lumbar puncture only hypnosis significantly reduced pain (P less
than 0.001); anxiety was reduced to a large degree by hypnosis (P less than 0.001)
and to a smaller degree by nonhypnotic techniques (P less than 0.05). Thus
hypnosis was shown to be more effective than nonhypnotic techniques for reducing
procedural distress in children and adolescents with cancer.
Ellenberg, L., Kellerman, J., Dash, J., Higgins, G., Zeltzer, L. (1980).
Use of Hypnosis for Multiple Symptoms in an Adolescent Girl with
Leukaemia. Journal of Adolescent Health Care, Vol. 1, 132-6.
An adolescent girl with chronic myelogenous leukaemia was treated with hypnosis
for several disease- and treatment-related problems during the last 4 months of her
life. Data were collected before and after hypnosis on the nature and intensity of the
patient’s acute pain and anxiety during bone marrow aspirations, chronic headache
and backache, nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, anorexia, and the
discomfort associated with spiking temperatures. Comparisons of baseline and
posthypnosis reports suggest that hypnosis was successfully used for acute and
chronic pain, anxiety, unpleasant body sensations and, possibly, nausea and
vomiting.
​