This is such an exciting area of hypnotherapy. Can you imagine the importance of boosting and improving one's immunity. That makes it a valid treatment for almost all disease and that's why there's much research surrounding this. Every cancer patient should most definitely be seeing a hypnotherapist. Psychoneuroimmunology and psychoneuroendocrinology are the sciences of how the mind, via the nervous system, affects the immune system and the hormonal endocrine system respectively.

 

From the research below..

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"[After hypnosis] significant alteration of the immune response as measured by B-cells and helper T-cells was shown". (Ruzyla-Smith)

 

"The improvers showed significant rises in natural killer cell 
counts, HSV specific lymphokine activated killer activity, and reduced 
levels of anxiety when compared to non-improvers". (Fox)

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Barling, Norman R.; Raine, Susan J. (Nov 2005). Some Effects of 
Hypnosis on Negative Affect and Immune System Response. 
Australian Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis, Vol 33(2), 
160-177. 
Research by Kiecolt-Glaser et al concluded that immune systems can be influenced 
by psychological interventions such as hypnosis. This study investigated hypnotic 
capacity and the differential effects of hypnosis using techniques of progressive 
muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and deep trance on negative affect measured as 
burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, and immunocompetence. Sixty volunteers, 
aged from 17 to 63 years, were randomly assigned to either a control group or one 
of three hypnotic intervention groups. Results indicated that deep trance does 
significantly reduce negative emotional affect and improves immunocompetence. 
Positive expectancy was also found to be predictive of successful outcomes. Those 
subjects who chose to use the tape-recorded interventions more frequently benefited 
the most in reducing their negative affect scores and increasing their sIgA measures. 

Miller, GE; Cohen, S. (Jan 2001). Psychological Interventions and 
the Immune System: A Meta-Analytic Review and Critique. Health 
Psychology, 20(1), 47-63.

This article reviews evidence for the hypothesis that psychological interventions 
can modulate the immune response in humans and presents a series of models 
depicting the psychobiological pathways through which this might occur. Although 
more than 85 trials have been conducted, meta-analyses reveal only modest 
evidence that interventions can reliably alter immune parameters. The most 
consistent evidence emerges from hypnosis and conditioning trials. Disclosure and 
stress management show scattered evidence of success. Relaxation demonstrates 
little capacity to elicit immune change. Although these data provide only modest 
evidence of successful immune modulation, it would be premature to conclude that 
the immune system is unresponsive to psychological interventions. 

Kalt, Henry W. (Jul 2000). Psychoneuroimmunology: An 
Interpretation of Experimental and Case Study Evidence Towards 
a Paradigm for Predictable Results. American Journal of Clinical 
Hypnosis, Vol 43(1), 41-52. 
This paper surveys a number of key experiments and case studies relating to 
psychoneuroimmunology. It finds that most techniques to influence or even direct 
the immune system via the mind fall into a series of theoretical categories called 
passive, active and targeted effects. By examining the results of experiments and 
studies in the light of these categories a number of important conclusions are drawn. 
These conclusions explain differences in experimental results, describe those 
variables that appear to be central to obtaining results, and describe in detail where 
experimentation should be concentrated to further knowledge of 
psychoneuroimmunology. 

Fox, Paul A.; Henderson, Donald C.; Barton, Simon E.; Champion, 
Andrew J.; Rollin, Matthew S. H.; Catalan, Jose; McCormack, Sheena 
M. G.; Gruzelier, John. (Nov 1999). Immunological Markers of 
Frequently Recurrent Genital Herpes Simplex Virus and Their 
Response to Hypnotherapy: A Pilot Study. International Journal of 
STD & AIDS, Vol 10(11), 730-734. 
Patients were recruited for hypnotherapy from a clinic for patients with frequently 
recurrent genital herpes simplex virus (rgHSV). Ss were 20 patients (aged 23–64 
yrs) with rgHSV. Following hypnotherapy there was a significant overall reduction 
in the number of reported episodes of rgHSV, accompanied by an increase in the 
numbers of CD3 and CD8 lymphocytes, which may represent a non specific effect 
of hypnosis. The improvers showed significant rises in natural killer (NK) cell 
counts, HSV specific lymphokine activated killer (LAK) activity, and reduced 
levels of anxiety when compared to non-improvers. NK cell numbers and HSV 
specific LAK activity may therefore be important in the reduction in rgHSV 
following hypnotherapy. 

Ruzyla-Smith, P., Barabasz, A., Barabasz, M., Warner, D. (1995). 
Effects of Hypnosis on the Immune Response: B-Cells, T-Cells, 
Helper and Suppressor Cells. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 
Vol. 38, 71-9.  
This study tested the effects of hypnosis on the immune response. High and low 
hypnotizable subjects were exposed to hypnosis, relaxation or control conditions. Blood 
samples obtained before treatment and twice thereafter were subjected to flow 
cytometry analysis. Significant alteration of the immune response as measured by 
B-cells and helper T-cells was shown only for highly hypnotizable subjects exposed to 
hypnosis. 

Taylor, D. N. (1995). Effects of a Behavioural Stress-Management 
Program on Anxiety, Mood, Self-Esteem, and T-Cell Count in HIV 
Positive Men. Psychological Reports, Vol. 76, 451-7. 
This study evaluated the effects of a behavioural stress-management program on 
anxiety, mood, self-esteem, and T-cell count in a group of HIV-positive men who 
were asymptomatic except for T-cell counts below 400. The program consisted of 
20 biweekly sessions of progressive muscle relaxation and electromyograph 
biofeedback-assisted relaxation training, meditation, and hypnosis. Ten subjects 
were randomly assigned to either a treatment group of a no-treatment control group, 
and the 2 groups were compared on pre- to posttreatment changes in the dependent 
measures. Analysis showed that, compared with the no-treatment group, the 
treatment group showed significant improvement on all the dependent measures, 
which was maintained at a 1-mo. follow-up. Since stress is known to compromise 
the immune system, these results suggest that stress management to reduce arousal 
of the nervous system and anxiety would be an appropriate component of a 
treatment regimen for HIV infection. 

LaBaw, W. (1992). The Use of Hypnosis with Haemophilia. 
Psychological Medicine, Vol. 10, 89-98. 
The Colorado program to treat haemophiliacs using hypnosis has been described. 
Those using hypnosis have realized a reduction in the need for transfusions, which 
results in a decrease in the development of inhibitors, less potential exposure to the 
AIDS virus and a lower incidence of liver and kidney damage. A decrease in the 
frequency and severity of bleeding episodes results in less morbidity and better 
coping in the face of HIV infection. Self-hypnosis has provided many bleeders with 
increased feelings of control and confidence and improved the quality of their lives. 
The field of psychoneuroimmunology gives a scientific rationale for what we have 
clinically recognized and implemented for years: self-hypnosis to alleviate stress 
has the potential to improve immune functioning. In bleeders and others who are 
HIV positive, it may augment medical attempts to impede the onset of AIDS.

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Hypnosis as a modulator of cellular immune dysregulation during acute stress
J K Kiecolt-Glaser 1, P T Marucha, C Atkinson, R Glaser
To assess the influence of a hypnotic intervention on cellular immune function during a commonplace stressful event, the authors selected 33 medical and dental students on the basis of hypnotic susceptibility. Initial blood samples were obtained during a lower stress period, and a second sample was drawn 3 days before the first major exam of the term. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to hypnotic-relaxation training in the interval between samples. Participants in the hypnotic group were, on average, protected from the stress-related decrements that were observed in control participants' proliferative responses to 2 mitogens, percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes, and interleukin 1 production by peripheral blood leukocytes. More frequent hypnotic-relaxation practice was associated with higher percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes. These data provide encouraging evidence that interventions may reduce the immunological dysregulation associated with acute stressors.

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