Mindful Meditation Can Help Ease Anxiety and Uncertainty According to New Prostate Cancer Study
A recent prostate cancer study has shown that mindful meditation can help alleviate anxiety, fear and uncertainty for men who have this disease. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine researchers. As men age their chance of developing prostate cancer increases, but in many cases the cancer is very slow growing and may not require immediate treatment. Instead the patient is actively monitored to evaluate the growth of any tumors and determine if treatment is needed and what treatment should be given. Medical social sciences associate professor and principal study investigator David Victorson explained “It’s very understandable that some men will feel concerned with the knowledge that they indeed have prostate cancer but are asked to NOT do anything to remove it. For many men this can create a great deal of inner turmoil. This turmoil can build up over time and eventually lead to men seeking surgical intervention when it may not ultimately be necessary.”
The prostate cancer and mindful meditation study used this form of meditation in order to decrease the fear, anxiety, and uncertainty that men experienced while being actively monitored but not treated for their cancer. The scientists found that 1 out of 4 men who had active surveillance after diagnosis ended up receiving a definitive treatment for their tumor even when tumor progression signs were absent. According to Victorson “I believe we have an opportunity to investigate and equip men with additional tools above and beyond surgical intervention that can help them manage cancer-related uncertainty intolerance.”
