Counselling can “double a woman’s chances of surviving breast cancer” according to the Daily Mail today. The newspaper claimed that regular sessions with psychologists also cut the chances of the cancer returning, and affected the length of time it took for the disease to reoccur.

This story comes from a study of 227 women who had surgery for breast cancer. Along with normal care, half of these women also received group counselling sessions with a psychologist every two weeks. These sessions  targeted various issues including stress, lifestyle, and adherence to cancer treatment .

After an average of 11 years participants were followed-up and their survival rates were calculated. Although the study found that the rate at which women died was halved in the counselling group, the way survival rates are calculated means is not the same as the proportion of women who survived being doubled, as the newspaper reports might suggest. However, it does mean that women from the intervention group survived longer on average than those in the control group.

The study highlights the importance of appropriate support for women with breast cancer.

Where did the story come from?