Research on hypnosis in people with breast cancer and other types of cancer
There are no studies to show that hypnosis can affect outcomes after breast cancer specifically. However, hypnosis does appear to help with some of the symptoms of cancer and side effects of its treatment, such as pain, nausea, vomiting, stress, and anxiety. Research is also being done to find out whether hypnosis can help reduce hot flashes in women who have had breast cancer.
An Italian study published in Oncology in 2000 followed 16 adult cancer patients suffering from nausea and vomiting just before their next chemotherapy doses, which is sometimes called “anticipatory” nausea and vomiting. After they underwent hypnosis, the nausea and vomiting disappeared.
In a Stanford University study published in 1983, 54 women with metastatic breast cancer were followed for one year. Some of the women were offered group therapy each week, and a portion of these group therapy participants were trained in self-hypnosis directed at reducing cancer pain. The hypnosis techniques taught patients to allow the pain to happen, but to also imagine simultaneous sensations in the pain areas, such as feelings of freezing cold or warm tingles. Patients were taught to focus their attention on these alternate imagined sensations instead of the pain sensations. The patients taking part in both group therapy and self-hypnosis were found to have lower pain ratings than those who only had group therapy or had no therapy or hypnosis.
