Social psychotherapy and course of the disease. First experiences with cancer patients

This paper is designed to introduce a new therapeutic approach into the treatment of cancer patients and to give some first results of our work. The basic idea is that the development of cancer depends to a great extent on a patient's social environment and the interrelation between environment and patient. A disturbed attitude on the part of the patient towards it and towards himself can influence adversely the development of cancer. The aim of social psychotherapy is to modify such attitudes, i.e. to influence the disease by psychological means.