Related Experiment Videos
Reappraising cancer: life priorities and growth
Juliane Strack1, Paulo Lopes, Manfred Gaspar
1ISCTE - Instituto Superior de Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa, Departamento de Psicologia Social e das Organizações, Catholic University of Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal.
Background:
People who have undergone traumatic life experiences such as cancer often report a new meaning and greater appreciation of life. These subjectively experienced positive changes are referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG). The present study investigated correlates of PTG in cancer patients.
Patients And Methods:
128 cancer patients at a rehabilitation clinic in Germany completed self-report questionnaires.
Results:
Cognitive reappraisal of emotion, gratitude finding, and openness to experience correlated with PTG. Patients also reported different priorities in life after cancer, reflecting more present-oriented and intrinsic concerns.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that reappraising emotions and adjusting life priorities may help cancer patients to experience PTG by facilitating emotion-focused coping and reframing an apparently adverse situation as a positive experience.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Survival Analysis
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Cancer
What is Cancer?
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of patients who died from...
What is Cancer?
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of patients who died from...