International Hypnosis Research Institute - Cancer

The Opinion of Oncologists on the Practice of Hypnosis among Cancer Patients in Lebanon.

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 16:21:00 -0500

INTRODUCTION: Medical hypnosis has received an increasing attention during the past decades. Various applications of hypnosis can be incorporated into the oncology field. This study aims to assess the knowledge of Lebanese medical oncologists on the use of hypnosis in the management of cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was sent to all Lebanese medical oncologists to assess their knowledge, opinion and understanding of hypnosis and its use in oncology, as well as the obstacles facing its application in Lebanon. RESULTS: Hundred and three Lebanese medical oncologists responded to the survey, with a response rate of 65%. The findings revealed that most oncologists had little or no knowledge about hypnosis, but recommended it due to the benefits they believed it provided for the patients in improving chronic pain, invasive procedures, chemotherapy-induced nausea and anxiety. Around 40% of participants were interested in receiving a training in hypnosis. Lebanese oncologists also described many obstacles to the practice of hypnosis, mainly the lack of training for this technique and the lack of financial resources. CONCLUSION: Despite all obstacles, the majority of Lebanese oncologists would recommend hypnosis to their patients in order to improve their quality of life. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Sep;53:102534. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102534. Epub 2020 Aug 12.

Effectiveness of Complementary Therapies in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

Sat, 24 Jul 2021 16:13:00 -0500

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. In Spain, about a quarter of a million cases were diagnosed in 2017, and 81% of the Spanish population has used, at least once, some kind of complementary therapy. Said therapies are increasingly being used by cancer patients. The purpose of the study is to analyse the effectiveness of complementary therapies among cancer patients. A systematic peer review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guide in four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and WOS). The inclusion criteria were Randomised Clinical Trials, published between 2013 and 2018, with a value of 3 or more on the Jadad Scale. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019127593). The study sample amounted to 1845 patients (64.55% women), the most common being breast cancer patients (794), followed by lung cancer patients (341). Fifteen complementary therapies were identified. We found two studies for each of the following: electroacupuncture, phytotherapy, hypnotherapy, guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation. From the remaining ones, we identified a study on each therapy. The findings reveal some effective complementary therapies: auriculotherapy and acupuncture, laser moxibustion, hypnosis, Ayurveda, electroacupuncture, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery, yoga, phytotherapy, music therapy and traditional Chinese medicine. On the other hand, electroacupuncture, laser moxibustion and traditional Chinese medicine presented adverse effects, and kinesiology did not show effectiveness. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 24;18(3):1017. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18031017.

Feasibility of Attention Restoration Theory-Driven Hypnotherapy for Fatigue in Cancer Survivors.

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 16:08:00 -0500

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of Attention Restoration Theory (ART)-driven hypnotherapy to address cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Six participants with CRF completed the study. Participants completed measures of fatigue and pain pre- and posttreatment of 5 sessions of ART-driven hypnotherapy, each of which followed a treatment manual. Results indicate that participants experienced reductions in fatigue, fatigue bothersomeness, and pain following the intervention. Additionally, participants reported high levels of treatment satisfaction. This innovative intervention of ART-driven hypnotherapy appears to be feasible and warrants further study in a controlled trial with a larger sample. J Clin Exp Hypn. 2021 Apr-Jun;69(2):203-214. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2021.1877088. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Nonpharmacologic approach to fatigue in patients with cancer.

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:45:00 -0500

Cancer-related fatigue is a common yet underappreciated problem with a significant impact on functional ability and quality of life. Practice guidelines mandate that all cancer patients and survivors be screened for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) at regular intervals. Comorbidities that could contribute to fatigue should be treated, and patients with moderate to severe fatigue should undergo a comprehensive evaluation. Nonpharmacologic interventions are important tools to combat CRF and should be incorporated into routine practice. Physical activity, educational interventions, and cognitive-behavioral therapy have the most supportive data and can be recommended to patients with confidence. From a practical standpoint, general education on CRF is something that most care providers can readily offer patients as part of routine care. Other interventions that appear promising but are as yet lacking convincing evidence include mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, and acupuncture. Reiki, Qigong, hypnosis, and music therapy may be worthy of further investigation. Cancer J. 2014 Sep-Oct;20(5):313-8. doi: 10.1097/PPO.0000000000000064. Pachman DR(1), Price KA, Carey EC. Author information: (1)From the *Division of Medical Oncology, and †Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Hypnosis in Breast Cancer Care: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:58:00 -0500

Introduction. Many breast cancer patients and survivors experience pain and emotional stress related to their disease, its diagnostic procedures, or treatment. Hypnosis has long been used for the treatment of such symptoms. The aim of this review was to systematically assess the effectiveness of hypnosis in women with breast cancer, breast cancer survivors, and in women undergoing diagnostic breast biopsy. Methods. PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and CAMBASE were screened through February 2014 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of hypnosis in women with breast cancer or undergoing diagnostic breast biopsy. RCTs on postmenopausal women without a history of breast cancer were also eligible. Primary outcomes were pain, distress, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, and hot flashes. Safety was defined as secondary outcome measure. Risk of bias was assessed by 2 reviewers independently using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Results. Thirteen RCTs with 1357 patients were included. In women undergoing diagnostic breast biopsy (3 RCTs), hypnosis positively influenced pain and distress; 1 RCT on breast cancer surgery found effects of hypnosis on pain, distress, fatigue, and nausea. For women undergoing radiotherapy (3 RCTs), hypnosis combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy improved distress and fatigue. In 3 RCTs on women with and without a history of breast cancer experiencing hot flashes, hypnosis improved hot flashes and distress. Three RCTs on women with metastatic breast cancer found effects on pain and distress. Conclusions. This systematic review found sparse but promising evidence for the effectiveness of hypnosis in breast cancer care. While more research is needed to underpin these results, hypnosis can be considered as an ancillary intervention in the management of breast cancer-related symptoms. © The Author(s) 2014. Integr Cancer Ther. 2014 Sep 18. pii: 1534735414550035. Cramer H(1), Lauche R(2), Paul A(2), Langhorst J(2), Kümmel S(3), Dobos GJ(2). Author information: (1)Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany h.cramer@kliniken-essen-mitte.de. (2)Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. (3)Interdisclipinary Breast Cancer Center, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.

Preprocedural distress in children with cancer: an intervention using biofeedback ...

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 16:04:00 -0500

Full title: Preprocedural distress in children with cancer: an intervention using biofeedback and relaxation. Children diagnosed with cancer experience many invasive procedures throughout diagnosis and treatment of their disease. These procedures, oftentimes a source of distress in children, can elicit a variety of anticipatory symptoms prior to the actual procedure. Although there have been efforts to develop approaches to alleviate this distress through use of distraction, relaxation, sedation, guided imagery, and hypnosis, there has not been a combination treatment that merged relaxation techniques and biofeedback within a pediatric framework. A group of 12 children diagnosed with cancer participated in a 4-session intervention combining relaxation and biofeedback. This feasibility study suggests that the combination intervention offered in a clinical setting may be beneficial to children experiencing procedural distress as a novel coping strategy. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2013 May-Jun;30(3):129-38. doi: 10.1177/1043454213479035. Shockey DP, Menzies V, Glick DF, Taylor AG, Boitnott A, Rovnyak V. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 , USA. dshockey@mcvh-vcu.edu

A systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine interventions...

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:01:00 -0500

Full title: A systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine interventions for the management of cancer-related fatigue. Fatigue, experienced by patients during and following cancer treatment, is a significant clinical problem. It is a prevalent and distressing symptom yet pharmacological interventions are used little and confer limited benefit for patients. However, many cancer patients use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and some evidence suggests it may relieve fatigue. A systematic review was conducted to appraise the effectiveness of CAM interventions in ameliorating cancer-related fatigue. Systematic searches of biomedical, nursing, and specialist CAM databases were conducted, including Medline, Embase, and AMED. Included papers described interventions classified as CAM by the National Centre of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and evaluated through randomized controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-experimental design. Twenty studies were eligible for the review, of which 15 were RCTs. Forms of CAM interventions examined included acupuncture, massage, yoga, and relaxation training. The review identified some limited evidence suggesting hypnosis and ginseng may prevent rises in cancer-related fatigue in people undergoing treatment for cancer and acupuncture and that biofield healing may reduce cancer-related fatigue following cancer treatments. Evidence to date suggests that multivitamins are ineffective at reducing cancer-related fatigue. However, trials incorporated within the review varied greatly in quality; most were methodologically weak and at high risk of bias. Consequently, there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude with certainty the effectiveness or otherwise of CAM in reducing cancer-related fatigue. The design and methods employed in future trials of CAM should be more rigorous; increasing the strength of evidence should be a priority. KEYWORDS: Integr Cancer Ther. 2013 Jul;12(4):276-90. doi: 10.1177/1534735413485816. Finnegan-John J, Molassiotis A, Richardson A, Ream E. Kings College London, London, UK.

Hypnosis for cancer care: Over 200 years young.

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:45:00 -0500

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE Hypnosis has been used to provide psychological and physical comfort to individuals diagnosed with cancer for nearly 200 years. The goals of this review are: 1) to describe hypnosis and its components and to dispel misconceptions; 2) to provide an overview of hypnosis as a cancer prevention and control technique (covering its use in weight management, smoking cessation, as an adjunct to diagnostic and treatment procedures, survivorship, and metastatic disease); and 3) to discuss future research directions. Overall, the literature supports the benefits of hypnosis for improving quality of life during the course of cancer and its treatment. However, a great deal more work needs to be done to explore the use of hypnosis in survivorship, to understand the mediators and moderators of hypnosis interventions, and to develop effective dissemination strategies. CA Cancer J Clin 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012 Nov 20. doi: 10.3322/caac.21165. Montgomery GH, Schnur JB, Kravits K. Director, Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program, Associate Professor, Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. guy.montgomery@mssm.edu.

Hypnosis and ultrasound-guided paravertebral block in breast cancer surgery.

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 04:27:00 -0500

The combination of hypnosis and paravertebral block (PVB) was studied in three patients scheduled for breast cancer surgery. The three procedures were realized under hypnosis. Median postoperative pain was rated at zero and comfort felt at 8 on a 10 points scale. Hypnosis could be an alternative to conventional anesthesia in combination with a PVB for breast cancer surgery. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim. 2012 Jul;31(7-8):644-5. Epub 2012 Jul 3. Bouzinac A, Delbos A, Mazières M, Rontes O, Manenc JL. Service d'anesthésie, clinique Médipôle Garonne, 45, rue de Gironis, 31100 Toulouse, France.

Managing patient stress in pediatric radiology.

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 04:25:00 -0500

Research has shown that short-and long-term effects can result from stressful or invasive medical procedures performed on children in the radiology department. Short-term effects for the pediatric patient include pain, anxiety, crying, and lack of cooperation. The patient's parents also may experience short-term effects, including elevated anxiety and increased heart rate and blood pressure. Potential long-term effects include post-traumatic stress syndrome; fear; changes in pain perception and coping effectiveness; avoidance of medical care; and trypanophobia. To identify common sources of stress in pediatric radiology, investigate short-and long-term effects of stressful and invasive medical procedures in pediatric patients, and compare different strategies used in radiology departments to minimize stress in pediatric patients. Searches were conducted using specific databases to locate literature related to stress in pediatric radiology. Articles were included that addressed at least 1 of the following topics: common sources of stress in the pediatric radiology department, the short-or long-term effects of a stressful and invasive medical procedure, or a stress-minimizing strategy used in a pediatric medical environment. Consistency of care can be improved among the different radiology modalities by providing similar and effective strategies to minimize stress, including interventions such as parental involvement, preprocedural preparation, distraction, sedation, use of a child-life specialist, hypnosis, protecting the child's privacy, and positive reinforcement. Future research is needed to identify additional ways to improve the consistency for care of pediatric patients in the radiology department and to investigate stress management in areas such as pediatric vascular interventional radiology, cardiac catheterization, emergency/trauma imaging, and gastrointestinal procedures. Radiol Technol. 2012 Jul-Aug;83(6):549-60. Alexander M. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Department, UNC Hospitals.

Hypnosis for symptom management in women with breast cancer: a pilot study.

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:05:00 -0500

Eight women who were in treatment for breast cancer (n = 4) or breast cancer survivors (n = 4), presenting with 1 or more of 4 symptoms (chronic pain, fatigue, hot flashes, and sleep difficulties), were given 4 to 5 sessions of self-hypnosis training for symptom management. Analyses revealed (a) significant pre- to posttreatment decreases in pain intensity, fatigue, and sleep problems and (b) that pain intensity continued to decrease from posttreatment to 6-month follow-up. Although there was a slight increase in fatigue severity and sleep problems from posttreatment to 6-month follow-up, the follow-up scores did not return to pretreatment levels. The findings provide initial support for using hypnosis to manage symptoms in women who are breast cancer survivors. Clinical trials evaluating hypnosis efficacy over and above other treatments are warranted. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012 Apr;60(2):135-59. doi: 10.1080/00207144.2012.648057. Jensen MP, Gralow JR, Braden A, Gertz KJ, Fann JR, Syrjala KL. University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. mjensen@uw.edu

Is the spiritual life of cancer patients a resource...

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:33:00 -0500

Full title: Is the spiritual life of cancer patients a resource to be taken into account by professional caregivers from the time of diagnosis? Background and aim. Spiritual life can be defined as the search for personal contact with the transcendent. Careful assessment of spiritual life can help to value its importance to cancer patients from the moment of their diagnosis.Methods. This is a cross-sectional study. Two hundred fifty-seven patients undergoing cancer treatment filled in the validated Italian version of the Systems of Belief Inventory (SBI-15R). Patients were also asked to attribute themselves to one of the following, mutually exclusive categories: believer and churchgoer, believer but no churchgoer, and non-believer. Results. Five patients did not report their religious stance and were therefore excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 252 patients, 49% declared to be believers and churchgoers, 43% believers but not churchgoers, and 8% non-believers. Of the 20 cancer patients who declared not to have a religious faith, 7 patients agreed with the statement that they felt certain that God exists in some form, and 4 had experienced peace of mind through prayer and meditation. Almost all of the patients who declared to have a religious faith and to be churchgoers explicitly affirmed to have been helped by prayer and meditation in coping with their illness. Among believer churchgoers, only 30% declared to seek out the religious or spiritual community when they needed help. Conclusions. A large proportion of cancer patients find themselves involved with the search for a personal contact with the transcendent, also beyond any specific religious affiliation. These spiritual issues may be important even when they are not expressed as participation in religious rituals or adherence to specific religious beliefs. On the other hand, participation in religious rituals often implies the need for a personal spiritual life, both through those rituals and beyond them, as through personal prayer and meditation. These results ask for more attention on the part of professionals towards spiritual resources among cancer patients. It might be appropriate to look systematically for these resources from the moment of the diagnosis, through the sensitive administration of an easy and valid assessment tool like the SBI-15R. Tumori. 2012 Jan;98(1):158-61. doi: 10.1700/1053.11515. Miccinesi G, Proserpio T, Pessi MA, Maruelli A, Bonacchi A, Borreani C, Ripamonti C.

Interventions for sexual problems following treatment for breast cancer: a systematic review.

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:32:00 -0500

Sexual functioning is an important element of quality of life. Many women experience sexual problems as a result of a breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment. Little is known about the availability and the effectiveness of interventions for sexual problems in this patient population. Six electronic databases were searched using Medical Subject Headings and keywords. Additional hand searching of the references of relevant papers was also conducted. The searches were conducted between October 2010 and January 2011. Papers were included if they evaluated interventions for sexual problems caused as a result of breast cancer or its treatment. Studies were only included if sexual functioning was reported using a patient-reported outcome questionnaire. Studies were excluded if sexual functioning was measured but improving sexual problems was not one of the main aims of the intervention. 3514 papers were identified in the initial search. 21 papers were selected for inclusion. Studies were of mixed methodological quality; 15 randomised trials were identified, many included small sample sizes and the use of non-validated questionnaires. Three main types of interventions were identified: Exercise (2), medical (2) and psycho-educational (17). The psycho-educational interventions included skills-based training such as problem-solving and communication skills, counselling, hypnosis, education and specific sex-therapies. Interventions were delivered to individual patients, patients and their partners (couple-based) and groups of patients. The widespread methodological variability hinders the development of a coherent picture about which interventions work for whom. Tentative findings suggest the most effective interventions are couple-based psycho-educational interventions that include an element of sexual therapy. More methodologically strong research is needed before any intervention can be recommended for clinical practice. Improved screening and classification of sexual problems will ensure interventions can be more effectively targeted to suit individual patient needs. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Sep 9. Taylor S, Harley C, Ziegler L, Brown J, Velikova G. Psychosocial Oncology and Clinical Practice Research Group, St James's Institute of Oncology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, s.s.taylor@leeds.ac.uk.

Effectiveness of hypnotherapy with cancer patients' trajectory...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:16:00 -0500

Full Title: Effectiveness of hypnotherapy with cancer patients' trajectory: emesis, acute pain, and analgesia and anxiolysis in procedures. 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. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2007 Jul;55(3):336-54. Néron S, Stephenson R. Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. sylvain.neron@mcgill.ca

Possibilities of hypnosis and hypnosuggestive methods in oncology.

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:14:00 -0500

Fear of death, pain, or the recurrence of the illness of tumor patients can narrow their attention to a point where a spontaneous altered state of consciousness occurs. In these cases hypnosis either in formal psychotherapy or embedded into the everyday communication with the physician can effectively complement other already known medical and psychological techniques. Although numerous studies have reported the beneficial physical and mental changes induced by hypnosis, for a long time there were not enough research to affect evidence-based medicine. New studies meeting the most rigorous methodological standards, new reviews and the characteristics of hypnosis shown by neuroimaging techniques support the acceptance of this method. Hypnosis is used and studied with adult and child tumor patients alike mostly in the areas of anxiety, pain, nausea, vomiting, quality of life, mood amelioration, immune system and hot flushes. Most of the assays describe hypnosis as an empirically validated treatment technique that in most cases surpass attention diversion, coping trainings, cognitive behavior and relaxation techniques and other regular treatments. In this paper we review these observations. Magy Onkol. 2011 Mar;55(1):22-31. Epub 2011 Mar 31. Jakubovits E. Alapozó Egészségtudományi Intézet, Semmelweis Egyetem Egészségtudományi Kar, Morfológiai és Fiziológiai Tanszék, Budapest. jakedit@se-etk.hu Abstract