Study Suggests Group Therapy Increases Breast Cancer Survival Rate

According to Reuters, Group therapy has been linked to improved survival rates among female participants with breast cancer, a new study has found. Findings appear to support the decades-old, controversial claim that psychological therapy can help cancer patients not only feel better emotionally, but survive longer and fight off recurrences of the disease, Reuters reports.

The study tracked 227 women with breast cancer, half of whom took part in a year of therapy. Eleven years later, the therapy recipients were 56% less likely than the non-recipients to have died of their cancer and 45% less likely to have experienced a recurrence. Researchers say therapy might help boost the immune system by reducing stress.

"Survival is kind of the bottom line when it comes to cancer. So we have people being healthy, productive people for longer—and that's a huge health outcome."
- Barbara Andersen, who helped lead therapy groups